Angela Ahrendts Discusses Apple's Experiential Retail Strategy in New Interview

[az431]

Doesn't it have to be "experiential" just to hide the lack of (new) product?

Didn’t take long for someone to pop in with this tired old comment.
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I’d have more respect for this woman if she was more honest: it’s all about selling iToys. “We want to enrich people’s lives...by selling a $1,500 iPhone!” Disgusting.

All Apple wants to enrich is their profits.

And if you were running the show you’d be looking to minimize profits?
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Apple has recently spoilt the look and feel of my local "town square" by putting up adverts for for the iPhone XR and various trade in programs all over the front windows.

Glad they aren't just focussing on sales and numbers..

They tried putting them in the employee break room, but apparently that didn’t spur any sales.

 

[PSCConMP]

My local Apple store is awful. Total chaos. You can't tell the employees from the customers. No way to know who is next to get help. On the last trip I bought a connecting cord. It was very painful because the employees didn't want to help me; they just wanted to talk to each other and couldn't be bothered.

 

[jjhny]

The stores are so empty and sterile I don't bother to go in anymore.

She will succeed when there is nothing in there. No people, no product, just those tables.

 

[skippermonkey]

"The tragedy in retail" is that everyone wants cheaper goods so they buy online. Apple's stuff isn't cheaper online, plus they have a the Genius Bar, plus people just hang around and use the kit for free. It's all so easy when 1) she didn't set it up in the first place and 2) she has the backing of a trillion-dollar company.

 

[iapplelove]

You realize that there is a team at Apple that works on retail and a separate team to work on products, right?

No I didn’t realize that. All this time I thought one person did it all over at Apple.

 

[newyorksole]

I don't even think the Apple Store was any better since she took over. I hardly even stop by Apple Store anymore, they tend to jump on you now unlike back then they just leave you alone. Basically their stuff hangs out at the front door like a Walmart greeter then jumps on you like a BestBuy employees, be prepared for a sales talk if you don't have an Apple Care.

Uhhh so you hate that you go into a store and people are eager/willing to help you? People that don’t work on commission wanting to genuinely assist you?

I bet you’d be upset if you went to a store that has very few employees and you wanted help.

You can’t expect to be left alone when you walk into Apple. After 1 or 2 people ask you for assistance I’m sure they’d leave you alone....
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No I didn’t realize that. All this time I thought one person did it all over at Apple.

LOL no need for the sarcasm. Just tired of seeing people act like companies can’t work on multiple projects at once.

 

[AngstyKylo]

I hate going into the Apple Store these days.

I think it's mostly because Apple stores feel kind of the same after 15 years or so. Going to them now feels like going to the dentist or doctor, as it's usually for a hardware fault/repair rather than playing with a cool iMac or funky iPod for the first time.

 

[Baymowe335]

I think the Genius Bar/service needs to be in a separate store completely, like “Apple Service” or “Apple Cares.”

The current store situation mixes up people who want to learn about new products and shop with people that just want service on a device.

 

[skippermonkey]

"Just tired of seeing people act like companies can’t work on multiple projects at once."

I wish we had some evidence that Apple was working on multiple projects at once...

 

[Scottsoapbox]

As sales continue to slow, we realized we had all of this untapped potential in our retail space. Our new design captures this in an interaction that is distinctly human.

 

[lunarworks]

"I think as humans we still need gathering places," Ahrendts says. "And when you are serving digital natives, the thing they long for more than anything is human connection. Eye contact."
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Serving digital natives? Eye contact?
Ahrendts speaking in tongues using platitudes and gobbledygook.

What she's saying is that for a generation raised on Amazon and social media, actual human interaction is something that is often sorely missing.

 

[Blackwell]

Hey, no one has mentioned the watch bands. Please give us more choices Angela.

 

[newyorksole]

I think the Genius Bar/service needs to be in a separate store completely, like “Apple Service” or “Apple Cares.”

The current store situation mixes up people who want to learn about new products and shop with people that just want service on a device.

This comment I totally agree with. The larger flagship stores are fortunate enough to have separate areas for sales/training/service.

They smaller stores have everyone on top of each other. The remodeled stores have done a slightly better job with this, but it still needs more separation.

 

[2010mini]

Although I am not the target audience and personally do not feel the attraction that Apple stores obviously have for the people that go there, Angela Ahrendts is doing an excellent job and her concept works for the company and its customers - so kudos to her.

I think just like Barnes & Noble and other book stores, they should add a coffee area to their stores - that would definitely help with the human interaction and make those places more attractive. Good cheese cake would also help.

NY Cheese cake?

 

[Veinticinco]

Experiential?

Here’s another two Scrabble words for Angela...

Vacuous and cringeworthy.

 

[M.PaulCezanne]

I hate going into the Apple Store these days.

Obviously just lifestyle marketing IRL. Such a different company now. Contrast to the tech-Meccas like Micro Center, where Woz probably would shop, couldn’t be starker.

 

[2010mini]

Same here. It has become an extremely annoying experience.

It’s because they outgrow the size of their stores very fast. The mall store in particular are cramped.

 

[magicschoolbus]

I just buy online and pick up in store.

 

[2010mini]

Obviously just lifestyle marketing IRL. Such a different company now. Contrast to the tech-Meccas like Micro Center, where Woz probably would shop, couldn’t be starker.

I am sure micro center would kill for the foot traffic apple stores half their size gets.

 

[yaxomoxay]

"Just tired of seeing people act like companies can’t work on multiple projects at once."

I wish we had some evidence that Apple was working on multiple projects at once...

Cut them some slack. They have been working on the new iMac for years, and on the new Mac Pro for decades.

 

[Rob_2811]

I think the Genius Bar/service needs to be in a separate store completely, like “Apple Service” or “Apple Cares.”

The current store situation mixes up people who want to learn about new products and shop with people that just want service on a device.

How about an area where I can just make eye contact with people. iContact?

 

[yaxomoxay]

Obviously just lifestyle marketing IRL. Such a different company now. Contrast to the tech-Meccas like Micro Center, where Woz probably would shop, couldn’t be starker.

True. But apple can do both. That's why there are Pro (*) and consumer lines of products.

*= at least in theory.

 

[sofila]

Cut them some slack. They have been working on the new iMac for years, and on the new Mac Pro for decades.

And new iPad mini and iPod touch lately, it seems

 

[yaxomoxay]

I think the Genius Bar/service needs to be in a separate store completely, like “Apple Service” or “Apple Cares.”

The current store situation mixes up people who want to learn about new products and shop with people that just want service on a device.

I wish they just had a line for people that get in the store and actually need a Genius Bar service instead of the messy crowded entrance where an iPad armed guy/gal asks the throng of people "who's next?" only to see seventy-five hands going up.

 

[arkitect]

Although I am not the target audience and personally do not feel the attraction that Apple stores obviously have for the people that go there, Angela Ahrendts is doing an excellent job and her concept works for the company and its customers - so kudos to her.

I think just like Barnes & Noble and other book stores, they should add a coffee area to their stores - that would definitely help with the human interaction and make those places more attractive. Good cheese cake would also help.

Because as the numerous "I spilt coffee over my MacBook" threads attest, mugs of coffee and electronics go hand in hand…