Apple Bringing Store-Within-a-Store Concept to Target?

[MCIowaRulz]

I hope they bring the concept to Iowa City Iowa, Target,
The Apple Store is 130 miles in West Des Moines Iowa for goodness sakes

 

[TimAlia3]

The store-within-a-store concept is just not the same experience as an Apple Store and diminishes the brand. Apple products sell for a premium partly because the entire ownership experience is great and it starts at the store.

I get that everyone does not have a nearby Apple Store but I do not think this is the answer. Remember CompUSA? Think about Best Buy. The last time I was looking at something I planned to order from Amazon, I overheard a salesperson steering a customer away from the Mac store toward the PC store with blatant disinformation. Half the Mac's were off, the area was a bit cluttered, etc. I like Target, but without Apple employees full-time, the experience will suck.

I agree. I worked at Best Buy and witnessed many fellow employees screwing up Apple sales. It's absolutely ridiculous. In fact, Best Buy management rewards salespeople to sell PC's instead of Mac due to the vast difference in profit margin ($50-100 bucks + warranty + software + antivirus on a PC... $15.00 on a Mac). Ha!

Nevertheless, keep in mind that every Apple store-within-store has a very talented full-time Apple employee working and training. It's a risk Apple needs to take in order to distribute properly; in today's market, most consumers are determined to demo a product before purchasing it.

Legitimate Apple stores will remain landmarks and Apple products will continue to be distributed in small towns through Apple stores-within-stores. I think it's a good strategy for the time being.

Nonetheless, those Best Buy and Walmart salespeople have zero integrity... it'll catch up to them eventually.

 

[ledzeppelin]

re original article

i'm ok with it - as long as aapl employees are staffing these

most target and best buy employees i've dealt with have no clue or seem like they hate life

x2

 

[ledzeppelin]

I hope they bring the concept to Iowa City Iowa, Target,
The Apple Store is 130 miles in West Des Moines Iowa for goodness sakes

Yeah, I know what you mean, my closet retail Apple store is 160 miles.
Target is a 22 mile drive.....so even though those in store concepts are not all that great......I think that it is much better than nothing.

 

[AppleScruff1]

Nevertheless, keep in mind that every Apple store-within-store has a very talented full-time Apple employee working and training.

At my area Best Buys, the Apple employee is rarely there when I go. In the course of a year, I have seen him exactly once at my nearest Best Buy and never at two others.

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

Indeed. There was kind of giving Microsoft everything they needed to copy and paste the Mac OS... the dreadful leadership, and arrogance that nearly put them out of business, not just out of the market. That Apple made the come back they did is nothing short of a miracle. Had that first iMac not been the hit it was, there probably wouldn't be an Apple today at all.

Actually, if not for that, and the iPod, Apple would probably be a division of Acer or maybe HP or even IBM or Dell... The true irony would be that Sun would have bought them, and been bought out by Ellison.

One this is for sure: Apple, either because of, or in spite of, Steve Jobs, had the rays of the sun shining on it... That can make a management team complacent and lethargic.

Time will tell if the people in control at Apple can really continue the direction and amplitude of Apple.

 

[designstemplate]

This would be great if all target stores would have an apple store. I know apple is very strict on the size and layout of each store they sell there products in. They stopped selling apple products in my local best buy because they said the store was to small.

 

[diane143]

re original article

i'm ok with it - as long as aapl employees are staffing these

most target and best buy employees i've dealt with have no clue or seem like they hate life

Walked into Target at xmas to buy ram for my bf's sister. Was told that ram was a "manufacture-only upgrade" and I'd have to call the pc maker directly.

After 20 years in IT, I couldn't help myself, I laughed and blurted out "that is SO not true". Went across the parking lot to Best Buy and they had it sitting on the shelves.