Riding Apple's retail coattails

Like the other 180 or so stores Apple has opened since 2001, the newly opened Apple store in the Natick Collection just outside Boston is a brightly lit, minimalist space meant to highlight the company's cutting-edge products. Employees swirl around the store to answer questions and keep a close eye on the iPhones being pawed near the front window.

The luxe environment of the Apple store has become a key weapon in Apple's consumer strategy.

Meanwhile, just a few miles west, Mac reseller Macs at Work reflects an entirely different philosophy. Though it maintains a presence along the highway, the storefront itself was closed late in 2005. There's no inventory in the back room, either - the owners order what they need when their customers need it.

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