Apple's Angela Ahrendts to Join Ralph Lauren Board of Directors This August

[Veinticinco]

As someone who clearly had Timmie's ear, driving the utter debacle that was the 1st gen luxury Watch edition, I'd say she belongs at RL, or anywhere back in the retail fashion world from where Apple plucked and elevated her.

I mean, she's perfect for an industry that, quite literally, values style over substance. That she's thrived at Apple for the last 4 years, sadly speaks volumes.

 

[bbednarz]

As someone who clearly had Timmie's ear, driving the utter debacle that was the 1st gen luxury Watch edition, I'd say she belongs at RL, or anywhere back in the retail fashion world from where Apple plucked and elevated her.

I mean, she's perfect for an industry that, quite literally, values style over substance. That she's thrived at Apple for the last 4 years, sadly speaks volumes.

How was that a debacle? It was never intended to sell in mass quantities like the current watches or iphones do.

 

[trusso]

Remember this? A lot of us are old enough (and have been Mac users long enough) to remember the first Apple stores almost 20 years ago. While you can draw a lot of parallels between their retail stores now & then, I somehow remember the original stores having a little bit of that homebrew feel, with knowledgable employees and friendly customers.

I think "high fashion" is an apt, perhaps unsurprising descriptor of the Apple retail business these days. The caliber of employees have dropped, most customers love to ogle the merchandise but take the technology for granted, and the whole place feels much more sterile.

Don't get me wrong, Apple stores have always been business first, and I'm not one to wax poetical about hotspots of consumerism. Gone are the days of the little Macintosh struggling mightily against the behemoths of Microsoft and IBM. Apple is no longer the little guy – they haven't been for over ten years.

It's true, what they say: "You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain."

 

[nylonsteel]

the rich get richer - ugh

 

[technole]

how so?
I love going in there and seeing old grandparents listening to classes on how to email and imessage and share photos of family.
I'm usually a skeptic of all this fluffy marketing stuff but those classes are such a good idea. It brings it back to why we have these tech other than bragging about them on internet forums.

EDIT: Once I came to an apple store really early, before opening time (went in before work). The team leader had gathered all of the staff together in a circle and basically did a morning pow wow with the team.

For 15 minutes asking them one by one what they think the strategy should be for the day, then determining the focus for the day, and then encouraging thoughts and quotes.

I worked retail all my uni days and never experienced anything remotely as empowering as that. If that's Angela's doing, I think she'd doing an exceptional job.

Today at Apple is good programming thanks to Angela.

I like she had made the Apple Store more of a place to hang out and learn something new.

 

[gugy]

Apple stores are too crowded but I am not sure this is Angela's fault. The products are popular and more people than ever are buying or have several Apple products already that need repair/help. My issue is the combination of buying and repairing/Genius bar experiences. I think Apple has to figure out a way to make this two experiences distinct. Right now both are suffering due the large crowds.
Maybe Apple should have two kinds of AS. One for Genius, one for buying. I definitely don't have a solid answer to solve this issue but something has to be done. Going it's a zoo for the most part and I try to avoid as much as possible.

 

[Denmac1]

......a place to hang out and learn something new........on outdated and overpriced products. While trying to look at products while mallrats are hogging the units to surf and message friends while charging their phones.

 

[69650]

If she has the time to work elsewhere as a non-executive director then she’s clearly not earning her multi-million dollar salary at Apple.

 

[uwdude]

Remember this? A lot of us are old enough (and have been Mac users long enough) to remember the first Apple stores almost 20 years ago. While you can draw a lot of parallels between their retail stores now & then, I somehow remember the original stores having a little bit of that homebrew feel, with knowledgable employees and friendly customers.

I think "high fashion" is an apt, perhaps unsurprising descriptor of the Apple retail business these days. The caliber of employees have dropped, most customers love to ogle the merchandise but take the technology for granted, and the whole place feels much more sterile.

Don't get me wrong, Apple stores have always been business first, and I'm not one to wax poetical about hotspots of consumerism. Gone are the days of the little Macintosh struggling mightily against the behemoths of Microsoft and IBM. Apple is no longer the little guy – they haven't been for over ten years.

It's true, what they say: "You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain."

Now THAT was a store. Inviting displays, accessories and software out on displays where you easily see them not crammed against the wall, products clearly in groups so you knew where to find something, obviously the genius bar too small back then, but still it needs to be a bar that you don't approach and sit down unless checked in, not this mass crowd sitting around at tables with lots of confusion as to who is there for an appointment, and cheerier lighting and colors, not this dull gray that we have now in the stores. And every store used to have an area for classes with a big screen that people used to stop and watch for a while even if they weren't in a class, now only the flagships do. The medium and small stores that are here in the Tampa and Orlando areas don't have any of that. The stores are not inviting anymore, and have just become chaotic service centers.

 

[technole]

......a place to hang out and learn something new........on outdated and overpriced products. While trying to look at products while mallrats are hogging the units to surf and message friends while charging their phones.

Not everyone is a day one Mac or iPad shopper like you. Your ignorance shows.

I was a mallrat in an Apple Store while charging my iPad, because the Genuis Bar was replacing my battery on my iPhone.

 

[apple_iBoy]

I despise going into an Apple store these days. I don't know how much of that has to do with Ahrendts' influence, but the whole model the stores revolve around these days sucks. Be greeted at the door by someone who has probably barely used a Mac in his/her life. Be told to wait in a spot to talk to someone else who again seems to have never picked up anything beyond an iPhone. Try to flag down an employee while they fast-walk past, not making eye contact. Tons of employees seemingly having conversations with each other, but good luck finding someone to talk to you.

Last time I had to go in for my stupid iPad "Smart" Keyboard, which Apple has a silent service program going on for (so lazy and so sleazy, not putting it on the Exchange + Repair Service Program website). They put me with someone who was basically a first line of defense to tell me "no, we won't cover that — no, that service program doesn't exist — no, there's no known problem — no, there's no way anyone will tell you any different." Stuck it out until the Genius made it over, and of course he says "oh yeah, there's a problem with those, let me get a new one." But I wonder how many people would be turned away by the first round of ill-informed employees.

Not a fan.

 

[L-Viz]

My Apple Store is AWESOME! It is a price comparison website. I get the best deal with a mouse click. Apple should fire expensive executives and reduce prices.

 

[Denmac1]

Not everyone is a day one Mac or iPad shopper like you. Your ignorance shows.

I was a mallrat in an Apple Store while charging my iPad, because the Genuis Bar was replacing my battery on my iPhone.

Truth hurts, Huh?

Seems to me that at that point, you were actually a customer. Day one shopper? I've probably owned Apple products longer than you've been alive. (Pushes ignore button)

 

[pankajdoharey]

“Ahrendts will retain her duties at Apple following her appointment to Ralph Lauren's board.”

Thats sad. I hope Tim says Bye to her soon, Apple products are trendy but not pure fashion accessories. They are useful piece of tech. Apple should understand that charging premium prices is a bad strategy for Apple as a brand.

 

[technole]

Thats sad. I hope Tim says Bye to her soon, Apple products are trendy but not pure fashion accessories. They are useful piece of tech. Apple should understand that charging premium prices is a bad strategy for Apple as a brand.

Tim Cook said it himself "We are not in the business of cheap".

So there you have it.