Ron Johnson, former Apple retail chief, rebuilding Apple staff at JC Penney

Ron Johnson left Apple as head of retail at the beginning of this month to run J.C. Penney, and apparently he's wasting no time rebuilding an Apple-style shop over there. The Wall Street Journal reports that he's aiming to bring both former Apple executives Daniel Walker and Michael Kramer on the staff there, essentially recreating part of the group that ran Apple from the year 2000 to 2005. Walker actually brought Johnson on at Apple, and it seems like the group is coming back together to do at the clothing retail company what they helped to do at Apple Inc.

Of course, as Apple fans, we don't really have too much interest in the inner workings of J.C. Penney or what they're trying to do with that company. But it is interesting to think that the principles and ideas that Apple has come up with in its incredibly successful retail program are now floating out to other retail chains and industries. Going to an Apple Store is a pretty singular experience, but what if it wasn't? I'm interested to see a clothing store like J.C. Penney that's put a few of Apple retail's ideas and bits of thinking into play.