Interview: Why Ron Johnson says Apple had no choice but to gamble millions on retail‎

Steve Jobs and Ron Johnson were mocked by business and finance press over the Apple Store, and in an interview with AppleInsider, Johnson reveals that if they hadn't opened them, Apple itself would not have survived.Ron Johnson (left) and Steve Jobs, circa 2001 - image and background shot of Apple Fifth Avenue credit: Apple.You've been in an Apple Store, or at least if you haven't, the odds are that there is one near you. These stores are everywhere, they are an unquestioned and unparalleled success, plus Apple has enough money that if a store fails, it isn't the end of the world.Back in the late 1990s, though, Apple was only slowly climbing back away from what had seemed like a death spiral. It was close to bankruptcy when Steve Jobs returned to the company, and the stories that the iMac and the iPod saved Apple are true. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums