Apple Discussing Mobile Payments Partnership With Nordstrom

Apple has a real problem with doing everything piecemeal. They announce something big (AirPrint, AirPlay, iTunes radio, CarPlay, Maps, iBooks, for OS X, etc.) and then make it so limited and restricted that it becomes an inconvenience rather than a convenience. Other major tech companies don't seem to have this problem.
 
Yet another US only 'service', Apple (I HATE to say) are losing the plot. Apple need a proper team around the world. Google has just that, and that is why they are taking over from Apple. Apple have no idea what is going on in the world, they can only see the US. The word Pathetic is a good word to describe Apple's international efforts.
 
miamialley said:
Forget partnering with retailers. Partner with Visa and be done with it.
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This exactly. This rumor is underwhelming. Who cares if they partner with Nordstroms?!

If they partner with major cards, I see no reason to partner with retailers one at a time.

I guess we'll find out in a week.



:apple:
 
Heavenly said:
I'm 100% on board with this.

Nordstrom is a great store and it's well worth it shopping there during their sales. Plus the customer service and return/exchange policy are second to none.
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I agree their customer service is great but their fame in that department arises from the ""tire refund" legend which is possibly the greatest "customer is always right" story of modern times
Read more at http://www.snopes.com/business/consumer/nordstrom.asp#pXyWxDLVee08IUam.99

As this article shows, it may have happened but not in the way people believe it to be.

Now try taking your broken iPhone 3G there and see if they can give you a refund :)

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rdlink said:
Look, I get it that Nordstrom is pricey, but come on. Think about it. They obviously are doing very well, because they make a lot of money ($12.5B revenue, $734M net in FY 2013).

How many of those shoppers do you think are carrying Android devices vs iPhones?
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I just looked this up. While they are better than Walmart in terms of margins, not that much more so.

Nordstrom

Profit Margin (ttm): 5.64%
Operating Margin (ttm): 10.18%

Macy's:
Profit Margin (ttm): 5.37%
Operating Margin (ttm): 10.01%

Walmart

Profit Margin (ttm): 3.30%
Operating Margin (ttm): 5.53%

I thought, given their high end status, their profit margin will be much higher than Walmart and also a notch above Macy's. Not so
 
tigres said:
Nordstrom is a great store, but they are damn pricey to shop at. I think the are basically against running sales, or discounting merchandise more than twice a year.
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Kinda like Apple.

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The Barron said:
Nordstrom's? What % of the iPhone toting population shops there, even twice a year? :eek:

How about getting some "basic" stores on board?

Suggestions, people, suggestions! :D
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Isn't Nordstrom a luxury store like Apple?

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nfl46 said:
Lol, Apple is high-end. They partner with people like American Express (Black Card) & Nordstrom...rich people stuff! Apple may be too good to partner with Wal-Mart and Target. Lol.
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You can already buy Apple products at WalMart and Target. 7-11 too.
 
boshii said:
They need to partner with retailers people actually go to.
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Nordstroms is fantastic. I used to go to the one at Stanford Shopping center all the time. They have an excellent return policy and carry a lot of quality brands you won't find at other retailers. It's an excellent place to shop for your girlfriend or wife, especially for shoes. There's not one where I live now and I certainly miss it and so does my wife.
 
mainstreetmark said:
They plan to add these guys 1-at-a-time?

Why not partner with credit card swiper companies or something, so that these sorts of abilities start showing up at gas stations, liquor stores, targets, grocery stores and everywhere else a credit card is manhandled. Once that works spiffily, then we can all collectively work on how to get it to work at restaurants (and if we get off the tip-for-service system during this time, so much the better)
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On a micro-incremental scale, every company will be added one at a time. On a less snarky note, I expect this to be a trickle, then a stream, then a river, then a flood. It is the way of all (r)evolutions.
 
The POS market (Point of Sale) is large and in desperate need of updating. Have you ever noticed each card reader operates with a different UI and many of them are designed to make it harder to present your card? I have.

Each card reader hardware company is its own universe trying to capture a small margin on the CC fees they charge merchants. I have sold them and made a portion of that tiny charge on all your charges at merchants I sold services to. Apple capturing that tiny fee in exchange for a simpler and unified UI is a best ever deal.

They will require special POS UI apps for pharmacies and banks.

Rocketman

cite:

https://www.macrumors.com/2014/09/12/more-apple-pay-details/

Need Hardware
cites:
iPOS
iCar
iBodyDevice
iHomeControl
iFreeWifiEverywhere
 
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So Apple is focusing efforts on turning your iPhone into a POS terminal then more than turning it in to a emulated credit card?
 
rdlink said:
Look, I get it that Nordstrom is pricey, but come on. Think about it. They obviously are doing very well, because they make a lot of money ($12.5B revenue, $734M net in FY 2013).

How many of those shoppers do you think are carrying Android devices vs iPhones?
Click to expand...

I think the average people who actually shop there have neither. The few people I know with literally money to born (ie multimillionaires) have blackberries (yeah, I know...) or a flip phone.

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pgwalsh said:
Nordstroms is fantastic.
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Nordstrom's is great. I expect Neimann Marcus to be the next shoe to fall (no pun intended). This also opens up for their feeder stores, Nordstrom Rack, to also get the capabilities.

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nfl46 said:
Lol, Apple is high-end. They partner with people like American Express (Black Card) & Nordstrom...rich people stuff! Apple may be too good to partner with Wal-Mart and Target. Lol.
Click to expand...

Lol at the AE. I almost threw up out my nose.
 
Rocketman said:
The POS market (Point of Sale) is large and in desperate need of updating. Have you ever noticed each card reader operates with a different UI and many of them are designed to make it harder to present your card? I have.

Each card reader hardware company is its own universe trying to capture a small margin on the CC fees they charge merchants. I have sold them and made a portion of that tiny charge on all your charges at merchants I sold services to. Apple capturing that tiny fee in exchange for a simpler and unified UI is a best ever deal.

They will require special POS UI apps for pharmacies and banks.

Rocketman
Click to expand...

First off, are you the same Rocketman on other sites?

If you are, howdy! If not, howdy anyway!

You're absolutely right. The POS (Point of Sale) situation (while a minor PINTA) is truly a POS (Piece of Shinola) situation. It's like a little adventure, every time I run into a new situation... I don't do debit transactions with my debit card (don't want to give skimmers my PIN), but each time it's "do I press cancel for a credit transaction, or look all over this black and white screen that somebody thought that 4 point type was good enough for everyone to read" screen.

*sigh*

I know it's not a major problem, but I'd like one less thing to worry about when buying things.

Simple
Consistent
Easy

I think Apple can do that.
 
miamialley said:
Forget partnering with retailers. Partner with Visa and be done with it.
Click to expand...

Historically, Apple has a hard time partnering, apparently because they want too much at the partner's expense. I recall CBS's Leslie Moonves talking about the fabled Apple TV Subscription Service and how Apple wanted "everything for nothing". See: http://www.applesecrets.com/2012/03...itation-to-provide-content-for-an-apple-hdtv/

Some see this as Apple driving hard bargains but others see it as Apple not overly appreciating the idea of bargaining, so that the other side can win in the relationship too. Relative to that TV subscription model, look at relatively tiny Roku- a gnat against mighty Apple having little problem signing up just about everyone for content deals. How do they do it? They certainly can't outspend Apple. Do they have better, smarter talent? Do they have an installed base of hundreds of millions people? A better brand? Did they already have a deep presence within the Video industry?

Maybe Roku is better at the give end of give & take?

So maybe Visa doesn't want to give Apple so much while Nordstrom's does. So Apple gets it's cut from Nordstroms and hopes Visa will eventually give in. Maybe Visa does or maybe this is yet another initiative that fades over time because the bulk of the players don't want to offer "everything for nothing." You know, like that TV Subscription Model.

No one should read that as me putting Apple down. I'm not. I'm simply speculating about how much more effectively things like this could happen if Apple asked a little less of it's partners, offering up tiny Roku as one example as some proof of concept.

This should absolutely launch with all 4 of the "big 4" in place: Visa, MC, AMEX and Discover. That would give it reach just about everywhere (globally too). Reach would drive usage. Usage would motivate all of the niche, smaller players like Nordstroms to want to sign on too. Finance is definitely a volume play instead of revenue-per-transaction play. The big banks have grown huge by taking just a little bite of every transaction rather than trying to take big bites. Apple could make it's profit target on volume here and grow it's bite size over time.
 
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Apple is a stock company with a margin requirement. The solution is to develop a division under Braeburn to partner with folks friendly to Apple that has smaller margins and is off-budget to Apple proper. Then they would dominate Amazon as well.

Rocketman (yes)
 
"This changes everything"
-Said noone

They are closing the Nordstrom in the Florida Mall (one of the most popular malls in the state). Fantastic choice Apple.
 
BSben said:
Yet another US only 'service', Apple (I HATE to say) are losing the plot. Apple need a proper team around the world. Google has just that, and that is why they are taking over from Apple. Apple have no idea what is going on in the world, they can only see the US. The word Pathetic is a good word to describe Apple's international efforts.
Click to expand...

just like when Google it's only recently (last year) that Google music is available outside of the US. and many other Google services.

Google Now came out with US only support

I could go on...
 
Maybe it's not common knowledge but FYI, Norstrom is the Number One retailer in the Customer Satisfaction in the world . They're this way for 10 yrs straight already. So, the is a very smart move for Apple.
 
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miamialley said:
Forget partnering with retailers. Partner with Visa and be done with it.
Click to expand...

Who says they haven't already partnered with Visa, Amex and MC no the customer side of the transaction?
This story seems to more about them partnering on the Retailers side as POS system.
 
I pretty much purchase all my dressy clothes at Nordstrom although I usually order online since the nearest one is an hour away in Naples, unless I need tailoring. The service is outstanding in store and online. Their Bistro Cafe is also amazing for being an in-store restaurant. I use their Nordstrom debit card to get points and sales because my credit is shot. I find that the clothes are usually much better quality for not much more price. Yeah, they have $300 shirts and bathing suits but they also carry their own branded stuff that is just as good.
 
kas23 said:
I think the average people who actually shop there have neither. The few people I know with literally money to born (ie multimillionaires) have blackberries (yeah, I know...) or a flip phone.
Click to expand...

Yeah, no.
 
Rocketman said:
The POS market (Point of Sale) is large and in desperate need of updating. Have you ever noticed each card reader operates with a different UI and many of them are designed to make it harder to present your card? I have.

Each card reader hardware company is its own universe trying to capture a small margin on the CC fees they charge merchants. I have sold them and made a portion of that tiny charge on all your charges at merchants I sold services to. Apple capturing that tiny fee in exchange for a simpler and unified UI is a best ever deal.

They will require special POS UI apps for pharmacies and banks.

Rocketman

Need Hardware
cites:
iPOS
iCar
iBodyDevice
iHomeControl
iFreeWifiEverywhere
Click to expand...


If they can get a good solution then they stay the phone of choice for these retailers, also a whole bunch of mobile tradies people who can expanded how they use their phone to get themselves paid for work.
 
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