Steve Jobs

Apple’s importance in the retail space has grown exponentially in the past few years. Some argue that Apple is the unique, innovative, game-changing business it is today because of one man: Steve Jobs.

His health impacts Apple’s share price and the launch of a new product - the iPad being just the latest following the success of the iPhone and iPod - just wouldn’t be the same without him in pole position.

Apple’s stores around the world have proved that Apple’s ethos of letting the products sell themselves works just as well when the company puts its retail hat on. Letting consumers touch and feel your products, with friendly but unpushy staff, makes people buy. And retailers queue up to be allowed to sell Apple products.

But perhaps the latest reason for Job’s growing power in retail is his company’s ability to get consumers using the internet on mobile devices and applications - including an increasing number created by other retailers.

Mobile commerce is the next channel retailers will have to get to grips with. With his range of easy-to-use mobile devices and a platform that retailers want to build software for, Jobs is the man who will enable it.