Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Apple to Eliminate Several Business and Event-Related Retail Positions

britboyj said:
HA!

I worked at Apple Retail for 2 years, including on the business team, and every business manager I met was deluding themselves. People shopping at Apple Retail stores for their business ARE NOT B2B customers, and every business manager I saw get promoted to corporate crashed and burned in no time at all.

There's A LITTLE extra expertise about taxes and such, but they were all vastly overpaid for what they actually did. They weren't doing cold calls, the business just walked in. You could train a specialist to do the majority of their work in an afternoon.
Click to expand...

It is amazing that this comment has been largely ignored thus far. It is the only one that provides insight from someone with actual experience in the affected area and potentially explains some of the logic behind the changes.

It is fairly apparent that many commenting do not have direct leadership or business operations experience. Every time Apple makes a decision people fly off of the handle and immediately proclaim it the worst decision ever. The problem is that none of the commenters have access to any of the intel, facts, or data that lead to such decisions. If you think they're just swinging axes because they felt like it, you're extremely mistaken. Feel free to disagree with decisions, but lets not pretend that these aren't carefully considered and fact-driven.
 
  • Like
Reactions: gvortex, lazyrighteye, bluespark and 4 others
britboyj said:
Apple has a very strong and successful B2B team based out of California and Austin, TX. People who walk into a store to buy products are not B2B customers, regardless of what the over-important retail business team would like to think.
Click to expand...

I'll second this.

We have an Apple store less than 20 miles from work. I've not stepped foot in there to purchase anything for work in at least 5 years. I have an account manager in Austin; I may have spoken to him half a dozen times over the years. If I want to get anything, I just log into a portal, select the merchandise, enter a PO number and it gets shipped. We probably order around $20,000 worth of stuff in a given year. We also have spent as much as $150,000 with Apple in a year, all through the portal.


While I'll concede it's not as personal as having someone a 30 minute drive away who could take care of issues I may have, it's very streamlined, and any warranty or return issues are easily handled.
 
  • Like
Reactions: bhodinut, aristobrat, lena and 1 other person
Koodauw said:
So the one person who has experience with this specific position at apple retails says the position wasn't needed, and can be fulfilled in other capacities, but everyone else wants to doom and gloom Apple?
Click to expand...
Patriot24 said:
It is amazing that this comment has been largely ignored thus far. It is the only one that provides insight from someone with actual experience in the affected area and potentially explains some of the logic behind the changes.

It is fairly apparent that many commenting do not have direct leadership or business operations experience. Every time Apple makes a decision people fly off of the handle and immediately proclaim it the worst decision ever. The problem is that none of the commenters have access to any of the intel, facts, or data that lead to such decisions. If you think they're just swinging axes because they felt like it, you're extremely mistaken. Feel free to disagree with decisions, but lets not pretend that these aren't carefully considered and fact-driven.
Click to expand...
You said what I was trying to get at in a much better way. *handclapemoji*
 
Meanwhile, in Cupertino...
150128190320-apple-record-profits-tim-cook-china-sales-00001201-1024x576.jpg
 
  • Like
Reactions: lazyrighteye, Demo Kit, sofila and 1 other person
Perhaps Apple's really long-term plan is to wind down retail stores altogether, death by a thousand cuts and all that (I know they are opening new ones but only until they've served their purpose and bought in the cash).
 
  • Like
Reactions: applepuree
LordQ said:
What's happening to this company?
Click to expand...
Apple has gone full bore "Wall Street". That is it is concentrating on short term profits to jack up share price for the speculators. Dropping of the Mac computer line, cutting back on innovation, eliminating accessories, jacking up prices, badly treating employees, proliferation of choices within remaining product lines, expanding mostly overseas, all are indications.

With Wall Street maximizing short term profits no company can stay on top for long.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ackmondual, huperniketes, Val-kyrie and 9 others
LordQ said:
What's happening to this company?
Click to expand...

Money, money, money!!!
Tim Cook gave away Apple to investors!
Apple is just about making money, on a side.... they sell technology.
Why Apple is not upgrading iMacs or coming with new Mac Pros??? because they do not need it! Apple is not a technology company any more, they do not need to compete to make money, now they are managing the money to make more money.
If they ever need a little push... they release a new iMac and Mac Pro and that is it. But why burning your ships when there is not need?

Apple is making money with the iPhone, with the apps. They do not care about ports and such, they just want people to get any equipment just to run apps. That is it!

Apple is not the Apple we knew 10 years ago. Now they are into that, making money, a phone is a phone, we do not need more.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Val-kyrie, dysamoria, Demo Kit and 5 others
jdillings said:
Another great move by Angela! Killing the Apple Store little by little.
Click to expand...


Yet, in the metric that matters most, she has led the Apple stores to continue to lead the world in sales per square foot by a huge margin. The sales and traffic in the stores just keeps growing. The biggest problem is the stores are so busy that they need to keep expanding the number and size of them. So when we will see these signs of the Apple stores demise??? When will the "Going out of business" sale" signs start appearing??

It amazes me that folks can read something on a blog and read so much into it. Yes, of course, some unknown person spouted that Apple HQ's "doesn't understand how business sales take place" and is mindlessly eliminate these positions, and we should take this as gospel. LOL. Apple has undertaken a major initiative starting two years ago to increase small and large business sales, e.g., is engaging in a major partnership with IBM and others to develop products and services for small and large business, but has no plan as to how to make those sales to businesses????

You can relax, there are almost 500 of these stores, rest assured that the most successful business in the history of the world has thought through the implications of changing job titles and positions and has people in place to take care of business sales. Indeed, it's likely that Apple decided the retail environment of the stores is booming so much that it was no longer the best place to have this position located.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: SqB, Kaibelf, Nunyabinez and 1 other person
Worked at Apple for 6 years and currently work for a company that uses a retail business team extensively. Having a business manager/team there is very helpful to us and we use them weekly. They've made visits to our office and setup conference calls with Apple engineers if needed. I'll admit when I worked there I had no clue what they really did but as someone on the outside now this is very concerning. Apple pushed business so much for years and now scrapping it like this shows that the retail heads don't know what the **** they're doing.

I'm not surprised by this at all though because Apple makes changes to the retail stores with little to no reason just to see if it saves money or makes things easier. Glad I got out when I did because the company cares less and less about their employees each year.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ackmondual, huperniketes, Val-kyrie and 7 others
I really think the long term goal is to end apple retail.

Apple retail was Jobs idea. It wasn't a popular one; yet it has worked his way. Now slowly it's becoming something else, more profit focused and less people or 'enriching lives' focused. This is a change many businesses have made in the past and it usually spells the end of their golden era.

Why do I think this is the goal? First Apple stopped creating the window displays for each store, ending the incredible pieces that made every store stand out. Then, one to one memberships died off and there was no more dedicated training. Workshops are great but not the same. Then phone calls to apple care became free of charge with or without the extended protection, at least in the US. Then genius and technical training ended for employees. Then business teams in the stores lost leadership and events.

Apple is slowly shrinking the retail store to the campus store; a place to buy products and do only that until they no longer need a physical store. They will outsource repairs to third parties, as they have been for years now partly, then close up shop and finish changing focus.


Just my two cents from what we keep seeing in the news.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Val-kyrie, Oblivious.Robot, deadlystriker and 7 others
motorazr said:
I really think the long term goal is to end apple retail.

Apple retail was Jobs idea. It wasn't a popular one; yet it has worked his way. Now slowly it's becoming something else, more profit focused and less people or 'enriching lives' focused. This is a change many businesses have made in the past and it usually spells the end of their golden era.

Why do I think this is the goal? First Apple stopped creating the window displays for each store, ending the incredible pieces that made every store stand out. Then, one to one memberships died off and there was no more dedicated training. Workshops are great but not the same. Then phone calls to apple care became free of charge with or without the extended protection, at least in the US. Then genius and technical training ended for employees. Then business teams in the stores lost leadership and events.

Apple is slowly shrinking the retail store to the campus store; a place to buy products and do only that until they no longer need a physical store. They will outsource repairs to third parties, as they have been for years now partly, then close up shop and finish changing focus.


Just my two cents from what we keep seeing in the news.
Click to expand...

So they are spending billions renovating and opening new stores so they can close them down ? I don't think so.
 
  • Like
Reactions: huperniketes and The_Martini_Cat
motorazr said:
I really think the long term goal is to end apple retail.

Apple retail was Jobs idea. It wasn't a popular one; yet it has worked his way. Now slowly it's becoming something else, more profit focused and less people or 'enriching lives' focused. This is a change many businesses have made in the past and it usually spells the end of their golden era.

Why do I think this is the goal? First Apple stopped creating the window displays for each store, ending the incredible pieces that made every store stand out. Then, one to one memberships died off and there was no more dedicated training. Workshops are great but not the same. Then phone calls to apple care became free of charge with or without the extended protection, at least in the US. Then genius and technical training ended for employees. Then business teams in the stores lost leadership and events.

Apple is slowly shrinking the retail store to the campus store; a place to buy products and do only that until they no longer need a physical store. They will outsource repairs to third parties, as they have been for years now partly, then close up shop and finish changing focus.


Just my two cents from what we keep seeing in the news.
Click to expand...
Agreed, in fact I said the same thing eight comments above yours (but you added the full rational)
 
Whats strange is, users find it awkward Apple is moving away from targeting business customers. Come on, this company has never been business oriented based on its founding. "Computers for the rest of us". So, maybe its about back to fundamentals. A recent article I read on Windows Server News asked business users about their reception to Macs in the enterprise. The conclusion is Macs remain difficult systems to integrate, especially in Windows centric networks and requires too much hand holding, not just for the device, but the user. A lot of the studies and publications claiming Apple is making an impact with the Mac in business actually are delusional. The Mac remains as difficult as it was before according to many IT folks.
 
  • Like
Reactions: huperniketes
DaveOP said:
I use the business team at least weekly to order items. I much prefer having a local guy that I can call and email for bulk orders, who handles our DEP account correctly, and knows the nuances of our business. I have no desire to have someone at corporate that I get bounced between, and cannot hook me up with things same-day. This is a bummer, my guy was next in line for management, and it would have been a nice raise for him.
Click to expand...
We never used the local business teams because the discount they could offer in-store was always less than what we got ordering directly online at https://ecommerce.apple.com
 
DaveOP said:
I use the business team at least weekly to order items. I much prefer having a local guy that I can call and email for bulk orders, who handles our DEP account correctly, and knows the nuances of our business. I have no desire to have someone at corporate that I get bounced between, and cannot hook me up with things same-day.
Click to expand...

I feel you. That said, you'd be surprised what the SMB team can do for you. Everyone I worked with knew teams, new people, and generally did a very good job. They can also kick things down to retail if you need something there and then (although next day shipping is an easy ask for most businesses).

There's also NOTHING stopping you from making friends with the Red Zone/Sales manager, or even an Expert or good specialist at your local Apple Store, who will by and large perform the exact same functions you're used to from the grossly overpaid (20-40% versus a similar non-business position) business team.

DaveOP said:
This is a bummer, my guy was next in line for management, and it would have been a nice raise for him.
Click to expand...

Apple doesn't promote to management from within anymore, and hasn't since at least 2010.

AZ63 said:
Well, Apple is going to find out whether the personnel was worth the $$$$$.
Your bet is obviously on the negative.
Click to expand...

Yep. Many of these managers were former mid-level corporate types who were laid off in the recession, or retired and were looking for something to do. The general group was very ... Un-Apple. They were also paid between 20 and 40% more than other store level employees. The Business Manager for most stores made as much as the Store Leader, despite doing and being responsible for vastly less.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Inside guy
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back