Apple Expanding 'Express' Retail Store Setup That Offers Safer Purchase Options

[dszakal]

The UK has been doing this since before Apple was a twinkle in their Founders' eyes. And, it's a five letter word beginning with A.

Step forward Argos. Your time has come (again).

Argos is the exact example how to do it wrong.

 

[smithrh]

Every Apple store I've been to - for years - anything of any value at all is in back and has to be retrieved by an employee.

 

[Arran]

Step forward Argos. Your time has come (again).

Not quite.

Where's the rigid, unwieldy, 1000+ pages of fingerprint-greasy laminated catalog? Such joy.

 

[axantas]

I am not visiting Apple Stores anymore since they reopened. In all seriousness and obeing the general rules - but I do not need any temperature measurments and questioning, what I want to do in the shop. I guess, "just looking around" would not be an acceptable reason. To avoid being rejected, I just drop it completely.
Apple better close them permanently.

 

[PBG4 Dude]

About time - virus or no virus, if you knew what you wanted to buy, the physical Apple store experience was terrible.

Find the guy that was arranging for employees to help customers

Tell him what you needed

Get assigned to someone, wait

Talk to that person, and likely have to put up with someone who knows less than you do

They get someone to bring the item you want to you

You buy it

This will hopefully shortcut that lousy experience.

The local store offers same day delivery of in stock items for $9. Did that for an SE, picked a 2 hour delivery window and it arrived as expected. Way better than the physical store.

I am happy the store is there when I need product support though. Nothing beats being able to walk in any Apple product for factory authorized service.

 

[Wags]

Ours just reopened under this format. I have not seen the inside but better than closed. They are offering express pickup and genius appointments only.

 

[Wags]

What shelves? Mostly everything on Apples shelves now are for show. The only thing have now are their first party cases.

90% dedicated to iOS devices and accessories.

 

[Disneymom2003]

Not sure this is a good idea. We went in to buy me a new watch band and my husband bought a watch. If you can see and ask questions I think they sell more products. I wonder how many impulse purchases people have made when they can go in and browse.

 

[tonywalk]

Where's the rigid, unwieldy, 1000+ pages of fingerprint-greasy laminated catalog? Such joy.

In the rigid fingerprint-greasy iPhone

 

[compwiz1202]

OR order online and get it the same day, or next.

Stores are a useless waste of time – if you already know what you want.

Transforming stores into sort of fancy vending machines is stupid because it makes them obsolete even faster. Safe the money and just permanently close them....OR keep them as they are because that is the USP (unique selling point) of physical stores.

.

Only time shipping is worth it is for launch day, since you won't get it anywhere sooner. I'd rather do in store pickup and go get it the same day than wait for a package that they may or may not mess something up with.

 

[RedGT]

The UK has been doing this since before Apple was a twinkle in their Founders' eyes. And, it's a five letter word beginning with A.

Step forward Argos. Your time has come (again).

Yes but if you’ve ever used their website or app it can be a horrendous experience. ☹️
And as for using customer service over the phone....don’t get me started 🤬

 

[mcdawg]

Not quite.

Where's the rigid, unwieldy, 1000+ pages of fingerprint-greasy laminated catalog? Such joy.

In the rigid fingerprint-greasy iPhone

I'm not familiar with this catalog. Was the regular version of it fingerprint-greasy, or just the Catalog Pro?🤔

 

[dawhol9]

Nope. Try that with an iPhone, iMac, MBP....

He said he was standing in accessories waiting to get rung out...he obviously didnt have an iPhone, iMac, MBP...

 

[dawhol9]

What shelves? Mostly everything on Apples shelves now are for show. The only thing have now are their first party cases.

iPhone cases, iPad cases, Mac cases, home security cameras, HomeKit lights, hard drives, keyboards, mice, trackpads, flash drives, adapters, cables, beats headphones, apple headphones, HomePods, Apple TV remotes, usb hubs, external GPUs, drones, camera lenses, tripods, DJI cameras, InstaOne cameras, HomeKit outlets, and more..all on shelves...

 

[glsillygili]

iPhone cases, iPad cases, Mac cases, home security cameras, HomeKit lights, hard drives, keyboards, mice, trackpads, flash drives, adapters, cables, beats headphones, apple headphones, HomePods, Apple TV remotes, usb hubs, external GPUs, drones, camera lenses, tripods, DJI cameras, InstaOne cameras, HomeKit outlets, and more..all on shelves...

I see. It seemed like apple was reducing their customer-facing stock in recent years but guess i'm wrong.

 

[TheWatchfulOne]

you do know for years...you can open the apple store app..scan the product...pay with a credit card attached to iTunes...and walk out. you didnt even need to talk to anyone. now in the covid era thats not possible..but pre-covid...if you knew what u wanted and it was on the shelf..you could self checkout.

...unless you are buying a Mac, iPhone, or Apple Watch of course.

 

[tonywalk]

I'm not familiar with this catalog. Was the regular version of it fingerprint-greasy, or just the Catalog Pro?🤔

Ironically, Argos did have two different sizes of catalogue for a while

 

[tonywalk]

Yes but if you’ve ever used their website or app it can be a horrendous experience. ☹
And as for using customer service over the phone....don’t get me started 🤬

In the olden days, when we used to shop in black and white, Argos were great. Just write your item number on the order slip, go and pay at the huge tills, and then wander through to the end to collect. Tended to have just what you wanted in the catalogue too - must have had a good team of buyers

 

[Arran]

In the rigid fingerprint-greasy iPhone

As long as they’re just my own greasy fingerprints I can deal with it!

 

[Arran]

I'm not familiar with this catalog. Was the regular version of it fingerprint-greasy, or just the Catalog Pro?🤔

It was the pro. Every single page had a plastic “screen protector”. Oleophobic coatings hadn’t been invented. Yeuch!

 

[miq]

This looks cute

 

[ackmondual]

Apple is the only store here in Germany that is a little over the top. It almost seems to be done on purpose for hype. Everyone has to wait outside and wait for a personal genius and then you need to get your fever checked and what not. No one else does it. When I picked up my Apple Watch, I wasn’t even allowed to go into the store to look around. That would have been yet another queue ...

I never bought anything from an Apple store, but as long as I made the trip to a mall, I may as well stop in and play with their stuff. I guess I should wait until it's safer to gather again for that.

 

[Wanted797]

About time - virus or no virus, if you knew what you wanted to buy, the physical Apple store experience was terrible.

Find the guy that was arranging for employees to help customers

Tell him what you needed

Get assigned to someone, wait

Talk to that person, and likely have to put up with someone who knows less than you do

They get someone to bring the item you want to you

You buy it

This will hopefully shortcut that lousy experience.

Via there app you can just buy things off the shelf.

but different for big items though.

 

[tonywalk]

As long as they’re just my own greasy fingerprints I can deal with it!

We could get closer to each other than 2 metres too

 

[Tech198]

should make purchases that must better.. no more browsing.