Jerry McDougal, Apple VP of Retail, Departs Apple [Updated]

[jonnyb098]

Im sure the stock price will be nice and low come morning.

[gertruded]

Countries, corporations, and people have life cycles.

Apple has had its time. Wish it were not so, but it looks like Apple is losing its edge.

[MMOTotal]

Originally Posted by gertruded

Countries, corporations, and people have life cycles.

Apple has had its time. Wish it were not so, but it looks like Apple is losing its edge.

I just want to see something new, like the iPhone launch, the iPad.. what next I wonder, that TV that caused a stir last year.

[davida]

Originally Posted by Rogifan

LOL Tim Cook probably has more talent, smarts and common sense in his pinky finger than most people here. But of course everyone else knows better.

Sure, you know it best. Since TC took over, there was the Browett thing, the maps thing, the .... thing, the yyyy thing. All in about a year. He just does not seem to get involved in day-to-day operations as much but delegate. That is my explanation how the map thing could happen. Didn't he try the maps himself before release to see how flawed it was? Didn't he breath and sleep with it before release? I found it cheap to fire the maps guys upon that. It is a CEO's own fault if somebody under him messes up. It is his responsibility to be on top of everything, not the VP's.

I am pretty sure he is brilliant at supply chain stuff. I am not so sure about his talents as a CEO.

And, ultimately, it is Jobs mistake to not select an appropriate CEO before his death.

[apolloa]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rY0WxgSXdEE

That is all, because when you refuse to see how bad it is when several long serving key staff members leave...... in less then a year.....

[davida]

Originally Posted by gertruded

Countries, corporations, and people have life cycles.

Apple has had its time. Wish it were not so, but it looks like Apple is losing its edge.

And empires.... I hate to say that but I think you might be right.

[joe-h2o]

Originally Posted by johncrab

This bigger picture here is that Tim Cook obviously has bigger and better ideas for Apple retail. Whenever I see someone leaving to "spend more time with his family" I know that's a smokescreen. Whatever the reason for this departure, the broom is moving through retail. Face it. It's become stagnant. It needs new energy. I find myself shopping online rather than going to the stores as I used to. I think we're about to see Retail V2.

Why change it though?

Apple's retail stores have the highest profit per square foot of any retail store in the world, and the attempts to meddle with the formula (witness, the former ceo of Dixons trying to make staffing more like that abortion of a retail group) causing major strife and quickly being reversed.

You personally may think the store is "stagnant", but have you actually been in one lately? The one closest to me is *rammed* with people during trading hours. On the past few times I've been in there for genius appointments and so on, the place has been packed.

Apple Retail is following a similar trend to Apple's PC business; one of growth in a declining market overall.

[gkarris]

Wake me up when Apple is no longer seeing any profits...

[unplugme71]

Maybe he was forced to be the person in charge and had no option. So he left

Maybe he heard that apple didn't want him to take the lead so he left

Maybe he's worn out so he left

[spartus4]

The recent upheavals at Apple are kind of worrying. There are signs that the company is changing from an innovator to a market follower. The examples of this are the larger screened iPhone 5 and the iPad mini. And now their announcement of a quicker refresh cycle to stay up with the market. I love Apple products, I have 5 Macs in my home, but some of the things going on are making me nervous. I hope things settle down and they start getting back to setting market trends and not just following.

[Rogifan]

Originally Posted by jonnyb098

Im sure the stock price will be nice and low come morning.

When Bob Mansfeield announced his retirement earlier this year it barely moved the stock. And I would argue he's more important than some vp of retail.

[mabaker]

He had a great run. Here's to a successful successor.

[Yumbo]

Customer loyalty program?

The retail EXPERIENCE has stagnated.

[T-Will]

His departure was explained as not work-related, but rather so he could spend more time with his family.

Some other folks who resigned to "spend more time with family":

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/...iWpP_blog.html

Just sayin'...

[kwikdeth]

Originally Posted by davida

And, ultimately, it is Jobs mistake to not select an appropriate CEO before his death.

jobs was gonna be a hard act to follow and i think everybody knew it. has apple ever really had someone at the helm who could measure up to him? Doubtful they will ever again, either.

[Technarchy]

Originally Posted by Andrei90

So Tim Cook had a VP with 12 years of experience but he chose to go with browett? I would be offended. It only took one year for Tim Cook to destroy Apple. Brilliant!

You might be on to something.

[mrmac007]

Apple is on the slide downwards slowly all those people Steve groomed an left in place to continue running the compony are leaving, it started with Ron Johnson, then Scott Forstall now this guy.

[koban4max]

apple is dead.

[G4DP]

We have another retail guru, we can send over. He has been in charge of some fine retail companies. Jessops and HMV are his two most recent. His track record is no worse that Browett's.

[Reddmanz]

I love how apparently the easiest thing to believe about this is that Apple is completely 100% dead as a company.

Not that maybe, this guy doesn't want to miss his kids growing up just to make products for people who are just going to bitch and complain about them on here anyway.

[newyorksole]

This is going to be a telling year.

If Apple doesn't innovate this year then I'm afraid the future will not be so bright.

[Peace]

Jonny Ive said he used to get upset when Steve Jobs took credit for some of his inventions.

While Steve was at Apple people wouldn't get in the same elevator out of fear of being fired. This made for an atsmophere of brown-nosing. After Steve left us those brown-noses started to get weeded out. It's an ongoing operation.

As far as the stock market analysts quoting stuff out of context in order to get the price down. Well. Their day will come soon too.

[frviana]

Apple's VPs, specially the ones with long time with the company have now a nice inflated bank account and working doesn't become a requirement to maintain quality of life or make enough to retire therefore many of them have the luxury of a very early retirement without having to worry about money and they can enjoy life... If you don't have the ambitious of more and title, early retirement makes completely sense and we probably will see other following through. Why would you keep working if you have enough money to retire 2 generations with great quality of life?

[samcraig]

I'm sure this won't affect the stock price tomorrow at all...

[malachiman]

Originally Posted by Andrei90

So Tim Cook had a VP with 12 years of experience but he chose to go with browett? I would be offended. It only took one year for Tim Cook to destroy Apple. Brilliant!

How do you know he even wanted the position?