Angela Ahrendts: 'The Days of Waiting in Line' at Apple Stores Are Over

[BenTrovato]

It doesn't make sense since you could have always ordered online. Although at least I can understand her line of thinking here. However I still don't get the 10k watch. I wonder how long she will survive there. Head of retail finds a way to eliminate traffic to retail - seems backward.

 

[Arran]

"Cleanliness is next to Godliness"

There it is - Angela Ahrendts' true internal sales pitch.

Pesky customers. Messing up my nice store.

Unclean, Unclean! Begone with you all!

 

[samcraig]

How many people actually want to stand in line other than die hards who view it as some sort of "experience"? These days the only lines at Apple stores are around new iPhone launches and this memo says nothing about iPhone. I think it's much ado about nothing.

How does that negate or relate to what I wrote.

I merely postured that regardless - Apple's bases are covered in terms of trying to maintain the potential media backlash.

I do think there will be lines for the Apple Watch - not iPhone lines - but lines.

Never understood (personally) why that appeals to some people. I know it's some sort of "experience." - but I would much prefer to never have to wait on a line and just get what I want when I want it.

Now get off my lawn!

 

[Arran]

I merely postured that regardless - Apple's bases are covered in terms of trying to maintain the potential media backlash.

And I think you're right, there's likely an element of that in this plan. But the primary goal of a retailer should be satisfying customers (never easy, I know) and not managing the media.

Never understood (personally) why that appeals to some people. I know it's some sort of "experience." - but I would much prefer to never have to wait on a line and just get what I want when I want it.

Now get off my lawn!

Well, if you really don't like crowds, might I suggest the Microsoft store might be more to your liking?

 

[sohelpme]

Hi, Angela. This is Bill from Apple Canada. Yeah, it's going great here. We drive to the Buffalo Apple Store, buy what we need from there at full retail, then ship it to Canada and sell it at a 15% market from that. It's great. And it counts as a 'sale' twice! So, what's this "In Store Pickup" thing? Perhaps someone could fly out to explain it to me how it would work? I'm not really clear on the whole concept.

 

[Arran]

I may be wrong, but I think this change, and it happening just before the launch of the Apple watch, highlights how uncertain Apple is about how the watch will fare. As you said, you can't "see" the lines online. Apple is uncertain about how this watch will be received and sell..

I agree. They have absolutely no idea how it's going to sell, or even which model.

I think Apple's hope is that it's mostly going to be steel with steel bracelets (best margin) but nobody really knows.

I wouldn't be surprised if they had a very low stock of finished product for launch and a HUGE pile of unfinished product sitting in a warehouse. Whichever model moves at retail will be finished and boxed in retail packaging. The remainder will be finished later, boxed in brown cardboard and sold through the refurb store at a discount (thus not annoying anyone who paid full price - remembering the iPhone 1 price drop and refunds that had to be handed out)

 

[Steve121178]

I think some actually prefer to wait in line, it’s all part of the experience.

What 'experience'? Don't people have anything better to do with their time other than wait in a line? It's cringeworthy watching people wait in line for something on day one when they could have just ordered online or come back another day when it's less manic. There's also no valid reason for needing to have something on day one.

 

[rappr]

What 'experience'? Don't people have anything better to do with their time other than wait in a line? It's cringeworthy watching people wait in line for something on day one when they could have just ordered online or come back another day when it's less manic. There's also no valid reason for needing to have something on day one.

Exactly. This is one step towards washing that awful "cult" stench off of the Apple brand.

 

[3282869]

Many of us have pleaded the case since the iPhone in '07 that working one-on-one with clients during purchase to thoroughly acquaint them with their new product would reduce Genius Bar appointments and lines. Floor specialists should focus on important features before buyers leave.

This new model may reduce [some] congestion, but the majority are those with simple questions waiting in back of house at the bar. Product launches aren't the biggest threat to retail congestion and customer satisfaction.

 

[ncaissie]

That is stupid. People line up because they want it in hand and not wait for shipping.

Guess they don't get it. But I guess if you are rich and work for the company you get it first anyway. (Except poor of Woz LOL He enjoyed getting in line)
I had a blast lining up for the ipad 2.

 

[Arran]

Except poor of Woz LOL He enjoyed getting in line

I'd wondered if this was all just to keep Woz out of the media.

 

[Rogifan]

And I think you're right, there's likely an element of that in this plan. But the primary goal of a retailer should be satisfying customers (never easy, I know) and not managing the media.



Well, if you really don't like crowds, might I suggest the Microsoft store might be more to your liking?

So satisfying customers is purposely creating lines? Are customers then not satisfied when new iPads and Macs launch without lines?

 

[Arran]

Are customers then not satisfied when new iPads and Macs launch without lines?

Yes. An option has been removed.

A very simple option that's been there since early humans started bartering.

 

[BSben]

But I'm British; I enjoy queuing in an orderly fashion.

I hope one day I will see a British person queuing, and not queue jump when the wanted bus/ iPhone /tube/train etc. arrives, until then I will join the end of it.

 

[Rogifan]

How does that negate or relate to what I wrote.

I merely postured that regardless - Apple's bases are covered in terms of trying to maintain the potential media backlash.

I do think there will be lines for the Apple Watch - not iPhone lines - but lines.

Never understood (personally) why that appeals to some people. I know it's some sort of "experience." - but I would much prefer to never have to wait on a line and just get what I want when I want it.

Now get off my lawn!

Sorry I wasn't trying to negate what you said. I actually agree with you. I hate lines too. At Coach outlet stores they limit the number of people allowed in the store at one time to purposely create lines. And where I live they do it whether the temperature is 5F or 95F. It's so stupid and is NOT a great customer experience.

 

[pdaholic]

Nothing like waiting in line and seeing a scalper walk out of the store in front of you with a bag full of iPhones.

 

[iosuser]

I may be wrong, but I think this change, and it happening just before the launch of the Apple watch, highlights how uncertain Apple is about how the watch will fare. As you said, you can't "see" the lines online. Apple is uncertain about how this watch will be received and sell, and they are hyping it up as the next greatest thing to change a market (wristwatches). But they are also, for the first time, having to market it as a "fashion" item, which is foreign to them. And the worst thing that could happen for them would be to hype it this much, and there be very small/no lines. The media would jump all over that. So...Apple just removed the possibility of there being small lines.

That's my take on it.

Exactly my thought.

I don't doubt that the Apple Watch will sell more than all other smart watches combined. But being that there are so many combinations of different bands, Apple has no idea which will sell and which won't, so they chose to limit supplies until they get a feel of which is popular and which isn't. Smart move. Eliminate the possibility of low turn out at the stores on launch day, and getting stuck with unsold watch/band combination.

Not saying I'm buying one, but if I was it'd be the stainless steel watch with leather band.

 

[Rogifan]

Yes. An option has been removed.

A very simple option that's been there since early humans started bartering.

What option? I'm not aware of anyone at Apple saying products will no longer be sold in stores. For all we know once the initial watch rush has died down and/or Apple has a better handle on the process things will go back to normal. Sure customers may never be able to try on a watch without a store employee assisting them. But I'd be surprised if Apple stopped selling all other products in their stores.

 

[bawbac]

Haha. Funny. I up-voted you.

Many people don't have time to research their gadgets. So, rightly-or-wrongly, they crowdsource their decision and just go with what's popular. Simple. You can argue it's lazy, but it's very time-effective.

After all, who wants to spend $1000 only to find a year later that they bought a dead-end Zune of a product with no future and no support?

And how did that HD DVD player work out for you.....

 

[KPOM]

It doesn't make sense since you could have always ordered online. Although at least I can understand her line of thinking here. However I still don't get the 10k watch. I wonder how long she will survive there. Head of retail finds a way to eliminate traffic to retail - seems backward.

The point is that they are de-emphasizing the lines, and want the stores to be showcases rather than the focal points of retail sales. I think Apple's ideal sales model for the Watch is for those who know what they want to order online, and those who don't to try them on in store, order them and have it delivered to their houses. It is probably too difficult for each store to stock all the different varieties of Watch. They'll probably eventually have the more popular configurations, just as they do with the Macs (most CPU upgrades, etc. are CTO).

 

[fmalloy]

Wow, so this is the big fashionista's brilliant contribution to Apple that earns her all those millions in signing bonus, salary, and stock options?

"We don't want people waiting in lines, buy online"

Absolutely brilliant. Guess it took her all those months to come up with that complex and well-thought-out plan.

So the frustrations of waiting in line will be replaced by the frustrations of jammed servers where you can't get thru, dropped/lost orders, etc.

Great Angela. Another day, another 50 pairs of Jimmy Choos.

 

[KPOM]

Wow, so this is the big fashionista's brilliant contribution to Apple that earns her all those millions in signing bonus, salary, and stock options?

"We don't want people waiting in lines, buy online"

Absolutely brilliant. Guess it took her all those months to come up with that complex and well-thought-out plan.

So the frustrations of waiting in line will be replaced by the frustrations of jammed servers where you can't get thru, dropped/lost orders, etc.

Great Angela. Another day, another 50 pairs of Jimmy Choos.

I'm sure it's a lot more complicated than that. How did they get the store-within-a-store at Selfridge's, or the multiple placements with Vogue, or the display at Colette's? I'm sure Ahrendts' fashion connections played a big part in all of that. One part of it is emphasizing online sales, but that's not their entire retail strategy.

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And I think you're right, there's likely an element of that in this plan. But the primary goal of a retailer should be satisfying customers (never easy, I know) and not managing the media.



Well, if you really don't like crowds, might I suggest the Microsoft store might be more to your liking?

Part of satisfying customers is not setting up unrealistic expectations. Apple has been a victim of its own success at times. No matter how many iPhones they produce ahead of time, it seems they can never produce enough to meet the initial wave. With the Watch, there are many unknowns. As you mentioned in another post, they don't know which band or body choices will be the most popular, at least not yet.

They don't want to be "stuck" with 5 million aluminum Watches if the Stainless Steel proves to be the most popular, or vice versa. The same with the link bands vs. the leather bands. They aren't marketing this as a passing fad. If they were, they would have produced millions of aluminum Watches as the "only" Apple Watch in limited band options.

 

[Cole Slaw]

She just doesn't want the unwashed masses to sully Apple's image by hanging about in front of her stores.

 

[ugahairydawgs]

She just doesn't want the unwashed masses to sully Apple's image by hanging about in front of her stores.

Not the worst idea in the world.

Perception is everything when it comes to marketing. Seems like Apple wants to class up it's image a bit.

 

[nick42983]

I think the lines were good publicity at one point but those days seem to be long gone. I think the iPhone 6 launch killed it.

I agree, I think Apple is trying to get ahead of this and not get stuck in the past. Its more important for customers to get their hands on the products they want. They'll get plenty of publicity regardless, and they'd prefer it to be through methods they control.

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It doesn't make sense since you could have always ordered online. Although at least I can understand her line of thinking here. However I still don't get the 10k watch. I wonder how long she will survive there. Head of retail finds a way to eliminate traffic to retail - seems backward.

I don't think its about eliminating traffic to retail, but streamlining the experience to where people order online and they can pick it up in the store if they want. While they're there they can be upsold on AppleCare and accesories. It makes sense for these big product launches where they want to get the desired product into the hands of the eager customer as efficiently as possible.