First, Sony is going to be using a lot of glass in its redone stores, a hallmark of Apple's modern, spacious retail look.
Second, Sony's displays are designed to show off the products and make them available to touch and test, an important element for today's consumers. Go into any Apple Store at any hour, and you'll see dozens of people using the iPads, iMacs, and iPods on display. Sony can help customers "sell themselves" by allowing them to try products on display and see for themselves how the various features work.
Third, following the lead of Apple, Sony is adding in-store services that customers value, such as on-site repairs, set-up and tech support.
Can Sony capture the cachet that Apple enjoys? The new retail showplace is a good start, anyway.
