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

[Rogifan]

Yes, I think she is missing the point that waiting in line with your fellow Apple afficionados is part of the Apple experience for some.

Do people do that outside of iPhones these days? Were people standing in line with fellow "aficionados" when the new 13" rMBP came out? It seems to me most Apple products are mature enough now that the whole experience of standing in line is just not a big deal anymore.

 

[stevedun]

If you're so in love with the lines, just reserve one online and go stand there anyway.

I stood in 2 lines for the iPhone 3G (my first). The AT&T Store we were standing at only had about 10 iPhones, so we drove 50 miles to the nearest Apple Store. Waited in a massive line which stopped for hours at a time (remember the AT&T activation server problems that day?) and wound up 3 hours late for work.

At the time, I thought it was hilarious that I just spent half a day waiting in line for a phone, but I have not done it since and I'm OK with that.

 

[Gooberton]

Supply must be VERY tight. I bet black sport and SS case sell out first and fast

 

[lcseds]

They want people excited over new product and then they want them to order and wait three days when they could have it NOW. They know this watch rollout in the stores is going to be a cluster****. They will turn away customers that walk in and don't have a "fitting appointment"? Sheesh...

 

[cdm283813]

I actually see no reason to stand in line. I was able to get a iPhone 6 at 8pm on launch day at Verizon. The Apple Store I had just left still had stock but there was a line at 7pm.
This year should be even easier since so many people upgraded to the 6 already. If I really want to I will just show up at Verizon 5 minutes before the doors open. I'm not one of these people that must buy from the Apple store just for the experience.

 

[RightMACatU]

Waiting in line at a red light is enough for me... and no one can take that away from me... unfortunately... LOL!

 

[Tycho24]

Doed Apple really still need those? At what point does this stuff no longer become necessary? Heck for the last couple iPads releases Apple didn't even say when they would be available in store. When the iPad mini came out I went to my local Apple store early in the morning and there were zero lines and next to nobody in the store. Outside of iPhones I think the days of standing in line outside an Apple store are past their sell by date. And even with iPhone the lines now are mostly filled with scalpers/resellers.

Exactly this!!!
The painting of Apple as a desperate shuckster, that has to come up with clever & sneaky ways to trick people into thinking that their products are popular, crack me up!!!!
We are talking about a company on track to be the world's 1st trillion dollar company; all their products' sales put hotcakes sales to shame!!
I'm so glad Angela is being mature about this - to be clear: as with every single Apple product... when available plentifully, there is no better experience or way to get your product than in an Apple Store. You can try it out 1st, they have quality accessories, etc. However, on LAUNCH day... this is NOT true. They simply cannot have the same supply as online sales can facilitate. As head of brick & mortal retail, I'm sure that's a bit hard to admit. It's genuinely cool of her to not bury her head in the sand over this fact; instead, for the 1st time in history, to acknowledge it & try to maximize the customer experience in a realistic way.

 

[cdm283813]

It seems to me most Apple products are mature enough now that the whole experience of standing in line is just not a big deal anymore.

If Apple priced the watch at $200 that pretty much blows that statement out the water. I do see people wanting to line up if the price is right. To me $350 is just to much when all I have to do is pull out my phone or buy a cheaper alternative like pebble.

 

[Chupa Chupa]

People suggesting no lines = no demand are moronic. Only actual sales numbers express demand. A line of 300 (many scalpers) only tells us 300 people are in line.

I can only speak for myself but I have more important things to do than stand in line for a gadget. I always pick delivery or store pick-up. But I don't think I'm alone. Mall management hates it too. So good riddance to line-ups. But I'll still be first to pre-order & a sale for Apple.

If Apple priced the watch at $200 that pretty much blows that statement out the water. I do see people wanting to line up if the price is right. To me $350 is just to much when all I have to do is pull out my phone or buy a cheaper alternative like pebble.

You can buy a $5 t-shirt at Target or a $75 one a Hugo Boss. Each has its market. Clearly you are a Target buyer but that doesn't negate the fact there are Boss fans.

 

[FelixAng]

Purchasing an iPhone 6/6+ required precisely this process, an online reservation. There was no reason to even visit the Apple Store if all you wanted was an iPhone 6. Every morning at 8:00am (usually between 8:01-8:02am) pretty much all of the phones for the day would be reserved. Sometimes a few might be available at, say, 3:25pm, but it was rare. And the reservation system was designed to block out robots, but it was very annoying, involving Apple ID sign-in and then 2-step SMS verification and then choosing whatever model was available after all those delays. I ended up purchasing one from a scalper outside the Apple Store in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong, for about 100 US over nearly three months after the release. The reservation system worked best for scalpers, who managed to catch dozens of phones using the reservation system every day.

 

[Traverse]

If Apple priced the watch at $200 that pretty much blows that statement out the water. I do see people wanting to line up if the price is right. To me $350 is just to much when all I have to do is pull out my phone or buy a cheaper alternative like pebble.

I may be wrong, but I agree with this.

I think after the initial influx of early adopters, tech enthusiasts, and those people who just want to look cool, the Apple Watch will mostly just sit at the table and be admired.

I just don't think that many people are going to hand over $350 on an accessory that really adds little needed functional benefit over their phone. Don't get me wrong, it's a cool concept and I wouldn't mind having one, but not for $350 on a first gen device of a new and unproven product category.

 

[Arran]

Supply must be VERY tight. I bet black sport and SS case sell out first and fast

I get the feeling not much has been manufactured at all. The launch is so painfully drawn-out it feels like a "build-to-order" affair.

Doesn't say much for confidence in their product.

 

[peglegjack]

I don't see what the big deal is. I think it's a novel idea and a good thing to say to your employees. I've never understood the appeal of waiting in a line, though if you still want to I'm sure they'll exist.

I like the idea of when I go to an Apple Store knowing that there's an easy way to purchase something. Either way you can still check out the product. Seriously people, these are first world problems personified.

 

[rei101]

Who make a line need a psychiatrist. No need at all, wait two weeks and get it any way. Vey sad people.

 

[evangw]

So where does the new MacBook go on sale? Just in those 8 countries? Everywhere? I haven't been able to find any information about it at all and don't care about the Apple Watch.


(Sorry, I guess I should not care about "Apple Watch", not "THE" Apple Watch.)

 

[Fzang]

I can only imagine how bad the line will be in China for trying out watches. 3 months after the iPhone 6 release I went to buy one and I was standing in line for about an hour, in Beijing. The whole floor was dedicated to standing in line. Online reservations will be sweeped up by bots I'm sure. That's usually how it is.

 

[Chupa Chupa]

I just don't think that many people are going to hand over $350 on an accessory that really adds little needed functional benefit over their phone. Don't get me wrong, it's a cool concept and I wouldn't mind having one, but not for $350 on a first gen device of a new and unproven product category.

People don't need keyless ignition on there cars yet it's a popular option - and can be pricey on most cars at $500+. That $500 just to not have to stick a key in a slot or push a button to unlock.

 

[cdm283813]

You can buy a $5 t-shirt at Target or a $75 one a Hugo Boss. Each has its market. Clearly you are a Target buyer but that doesn't negate the fact there are Boss fans.

I agree with you. Why should I throw my hard earned money at someone named Hugo Boss. And I bet Mr. Boss had someone in China make that $75 shirt for only $5. Who's the sucker now?

 

[wesk702]

Feels like she's gonna be the next exec to end up at JCPenney.

 

[Urban Joe]

…they are not going to have enough watches to cover launch. So, Apple would rather queue orders online instead of turning away many disappointed customers.

Interesting conjecture. Will be interesting for all to see how launch day pans out.

 

[dannyyankou]

So a person shows up at an Apple Store, excited to get their hands on the latest product. An employee tells them to go home and order online instead. How does this make the customer happy?

Feels like a speech from 1999 to me.

You know that's funny. Last year I was hoping I could preorder the iPhone 5s, but I found out I couldn't and I found out that if I wanted one on launch day, I had to wait on a line that stretched multiple blocks.

 

[mostlydave]

My closest Apple store is about a 2 hour drive so I'll be ordering online and having UPS hold for pickup, just like every other Apple product I buy. I've never even been to an Apple store and I guess if you've never been to one you're not missing it.

 

[Patriot24]

Apple Retail is all grown up and it is time to scale to meet the demands of customers that are partial to instant gratification. Waiting in long lines or being told that the item they want is not in stock no longer makes sense when they can check availability online, order, and pickup or have it shipped directly to their doorstep the minute it is available.

Many posters here are taking the quoted directive out of context. Ahrendts is not suggesting that retail employees turn away customers by sending them home to order in all cases. Specifically, the period between pre-orders and the release of the Watch are the types of situations where that advice makes a lot of sense and will actually be useful to the customer if they are unaware.

The retail store of the future is one that acts as a showroom, a local distribution center for online orders, and pumps out small accessories in volume. Part of the equation they are attempting to solve is the balance between inventory and demand. Shifting the focus to "order online, pickup in store" helps them do that much more efficiently and leads to a more satisfactory experience for customers. Retail stores in Europe figured this out years ago - it is working out well for them.

The notion that standing in line for 7 hours without knowing if you're even going to get what you want is a tradition and an experience is noble, but an ironic one given that the company we're talking about here is the largest purveyor of technology in the world. It only makes sense that they evolve their retail efforts as they have the technology in their products over the years. It won't sit well with the nostalgic, but it is the correct decision.

For those upset with Ahrendts, just remember how things when with Browett. Angela is clearly in a different class when it comes to understanding the retail environment and making decisions that have positive impacts.

 

[jonnyb]

Yeah...

This seems a pretty bad system. What happens if you're working that day and can't get it delivered there?

You can get Apple deliveries sent to a pick-up point now, like your local shop.

 

[KPOM]

There's no doubt a very good reason behind her thought process but to me this seems odd.

Isn't the hype surrounding a new Apple product and loads of people waiting in line great exposure for Apple?!

That may be true for the "tech" crowd but a LOT of people I know hate going to the Apple Store now because it is so chaotic, particularly around product launches.

It sounds like Apple has concluded that the long lines have run their course, and the stores should showcase the products.