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Currys and PC World Gearing Up to Sell Apple Watch in UK

Just to clear something up there are many Apple employed staff working in Apple Shop-in-Shops (SiS) is Currys/PC Worlds. Usually the larger or busiers stores. The staff in these SiS's don't sell anything but train staff, advise customers and give demonstrations. They are called ASC's (Apple Solution Consultants). They are employed,trained and payed by Apple UK.

They are top people who know their stuff. How do I know? Because I was one for 4 years! ;)

I no longer work for Apple but I would have no problem buying an Apple device from a Currys/PC World because for Apple it doesn't matter where you buy their product from when it comes to their warranty.
 
The Game 161 said:
Is it getting desperate selling iphones in other stores other than the apple store too then? you are seriously making zero sense.

Adding the apple watch to other stores in theory is only going to be a good thing for sales.
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You do realise I was kidding there, right?
Take a chill pill, dude.
 
Keirasplace said:
Well, John Oliver, who a "cool following" ripped into the Apple Watch last friday as a bad idea basically based on all the FUD seemingly. I'm a bit worried about his show sometimes, he takes a lot more liberties with facts than Stewart or Colbert; he's been flat out objectively wrong many times and his lines of arguments are often very strained or simplistic at times (I'd even called them Fox like sometimes!).
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Wow... that's quite a statement!
 
MacRumors said:



MacRumors has learned that British electronics retailer Currys, which co-brands some locations as Currys and PC World, has added the Apple Watch to its internal inventory system as it gears up to begin selling the wrist-worn device.

Currys and PC World has a large presence throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland, with a combined 295 superstores and 73 high street stores in both countries. It remains unclear how many of those locations will be carrying the Apple Watch.

currys_apple_watch-800x344.jpg

When searching for the Apple Watch on the Currys website, a banner informs customers that the device is "currently not available at Currys and PC World" and advertises a range of smartwatches from Sony, Motorola, LG, Pebble and others.

currys_no_apple_watch-800x68.jpg

Apple has been expanding Apple Watch availability beyond Apple Stores over the past few months. Best Buy in the U.S. began selling the Apple Watch in early August, followed by Best Buy in Canada, Harvey Norman and Myer in Australia and Fnac in France.

Article Link: Currys and PC World Gearing Up to Sell Apple Watch in UK
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I agree with the comments that say Currys/PC World is probably the worst retailer on the British High Street.

I cannot understand why Apple would have anything to do with them; maybe they are not selling well in their own shops (a STORE is something you fill grain with!!).

I have a Watch myself, and it's a bit of a gimmick really. It was a gift for my birthday, and arrived with flakes of the metal surface falling off (I have the black Sport model). It has taken me since May of this year to get a resolution, which is unacceptable.

I've been concerned about what's been happening to Apple retail. In my opinion, standards are falling.

I've been a fan for many years, and have spent £10k over the past 12 years on pads, pods, phones, a standalone Mac Pro and several MacBook Pros.

Maybe it's time for a rethink.
 
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Newjackboy said:
Nonsense!! Why not? They often run deals giving at least 10 or 15 percent off. And if you had any problems, you'd simply take it into any Apple Store.

Think first!
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"I refuse to buy it from XXXXX because I'll save $50 (or 50 quid) and get hassled, and it will scar me for life!"

Heck, I even go to Walmart to buy soda. A 2l diet coke is the same at Walmart as it is at Whole Foods, only $2 cheaper.
 
MNLondon said:
I agree with the comments that say Currys/PC World is probably the worst retailer on the British High Street.

I cannot understand why Apple would have anything to do with them; maybe they are not selling well in their own shops (a STORE is something you fill grain with!!).

I have a Watch myself, and it's a bit of a gimmick really. It was a gift for my birthday, and arrived with flakes of the metal surface falling off (I have the black Sport model). It has taken me since May of this year to get a resolution, which is unacceptable.

I've been concerned about what's been happening to Apple retail. In my opinion, standards are falling.

I've been a fan for many years, and have spent £10k over the past 12 years on pads, pods, phones, a standalone Mac Pro and several MacBook Pros.

Maybe it's time for a rethink.
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The amount of crying on here is getting unbearable.
 
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I know it takes time , but apple needs more stores in the UK . I have to travel 50 miles almost to my closest store and the Genius Bar is always rammed.
 
quackers82 said:
I know it takes time , but apple needs more stores in the UK . I have to travel 50 miles almost to my closest store and the Genius Bar is always rammed.
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This - for those saying you can take it to apple if there's an issue, more often than not a PCW will be closer and most people will expect recourse from the shop they buy it from.
 
quackers82 said:
I know it takes time , but apple needs more stores in the UK . I have to travel 50 miles almost to my closest store and the Genius Bar is always rammed.
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damn

Guess i'm quite lucky as mine is only 20 mins away.I know there is one in birmingham too which isnt far
 
The Apple Watch isn't actually even available yet on Apple's Irish website (and there is no Apple store in Ireland despite having their EU headquarters based here). We're good enough for Apple to be used for cheap corporate taxes but not good enough to be allowed to buy their latest products or have an official store. Thanks :/

No way I will buy it from Currys if it arrives there, there's no point buying it this long after it being released. The limits of the Apple Watch 1 are already showing.
 
quackers82 said:
I know it takes time , but apple needs more stores in the UK . I have to travel 50 miles almost to my closest store and the Genius Bar is always rammed.
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Tell me about it, the closest one in Ireland isn't actually in Ireland but in Belfast..

I've bought stuff there before and the service is miles ahead of Currys/PC World (obviously).
 
JeffyTheQuik said:
That's too bad about Tim. He is one of my favorite actors with his wit and biting sarcasm. He is a joy to watch on screen.
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Tim had a stroke in 2012 and is wheelchair bound. Rumors are flying like crazy that he will be a "surprise" guest at the convention. It all comes down to his health and if he wants have some of his last pubic appearances connected with Rocky.
 
CFreymarc said:
Tim had a stroke in 2012 and is wheelchair bound. Rumors are flying like crazy that he will be a "surprise" guest at the convention. It all comes down to his health and if he wants have some of his last pubic appearances connected with Rocky.
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After my grandmother had a stroke the day before my wedding, her physical ability was hampered, but her thinking mind was as keen as ever. Afterward, my new bride and I visited her, we told a her the story of our wedding (it takes about 5 pages, and her stroke was just one of the issues that our family had), she looked at us and said, "I thought I had a bad week!"
We laughed, and I remember her for her humor, her sense of right and wrong, her courage coming across a divided Berlin and from East to West Germany in the 1950's, and the long conversations we had as I was growing up.
Maybe it's better to remember Tim as he was on film and leave his now for his family to enjoy.
 
Aniseedvan said:
This - for those saying you can take it to apple if there's an issue, more often than not a PCW will be closer and most people will expect recourse from the shop they buy it from.
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C/PCW don't give a **** once you're out the door.

I'd say good luck to anyone that buys an Apple Watch there and has ANY kind of issue (big or small) and takes it back to C/PCW for help.

The chances are, they will just grab the first C/PCW person they see and say I've got a problem with my Apple Watch that I purchase here x months ago"

The second that staff member realises there's no money to be made from you, will simply grunt and point you in the general direction of the Apple stand (whilst running off to swoop on the next person through the door.

Apple stand a huge chance of having this move backfire on them, when people who are used to Apple Store service go to C/PCW for help and realise that the 2 companies couldn't be further apart in terms of the way the look after customers.

Like is said earlier, you have been warned.
 
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MNLondon said:
I agree with the comments that say Currys/PC World is probably the worst retailer on the British High Street.

I cannot understand why Apple would have anything to do with them; maybe they are not selling well in their own shops (a STORE is something you fill grain with!!.
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Apple use them (and department stores) to sell their products because Apple only has locations in major cities in the UK. Curry's/PC World will have 3/4 locations in each city. Having a store or more than 1 in each city is not really viable, very few cities in the UK do. At the top of my head only London and Newcastle (City centre and Metro centre) have more than 1 Apple Store.

When Apple open an Apple Store here in the UK then sales generally go up, not just because of store sales, but in the area around the store and neighbouring cities. Having a place to sell to the customer not immediately in the vicinity of an Apple Store is important, and despite PC/Worlds customer service being appaling, it is the largest supplier of electrical goods. If anything goes wrong with your Apple product, you can still take it to an Apple Store to be fixed.

Think about it this way, if Frank and Gene want a new computer and an Apple one would be good for their needs but they know nothing about computers and just stroll up to Curries/PC World, wouldn't you like the Mac's to be there so they can have that option instead of being sold whatever needs to be sold out of their infantry?
 
bigchrisfgb said:
.
Think about it this way, if Frank and Gene want a new computer and an Apple one would be good for their needs but they know nothing about computers and just stroll up to Curries/PC World, wouldn't you like the Mac's to be there so they can have that option instead of being sold whatever needs to be sold out of their infantry?
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I would then try John Lewis, actually I'd go there before even an Apple store. Though I don't think JL sell iPhones or Apple watches. I can honestly say there is next to nothing that would make be shop in PC World. The fact that Apple has to provide their own staff to PC World shows that even they know how poor PC World is and want to do all they can to prevent being tainted by it. I see the benefit of having Apple products in PC World, but I think it cheapens the brand by association.

Do people still buy Computers from PC world anyway?
 
OllyW said:
I've bought three of my Macs from them in the past. The Macs were exactly the same as the ones you buy from the Apple Store but they came with a discount which swung the deal for me. :D
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Would you take them back to C/PCW if one of them had a fault?

I'm going to stick my neck out and say that you wouldn't, because doubt that the C/PCW Apple staff carry the kind of inventory and skills for on the spot repairs/replacements.

If I'm right about that, it brings me back to my original point of the service that is severely lacking in C/PCW stores and Apple customers will be far from happy.
 
Azzin said:
Would you take them back to C/PCW if one of them had a fault?

I'm going to stick my neck out and say that you wouldn't, because doubt that the C/PCW Apple staff carry the kind of inventory and skills for on the spot repairs/replacements.

If I'm right about that, it brings me back to my original point of the service that is severely lacking in C/PCW stores and Apple customers will be far from happy.
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You make it sound like they have only just started selling Apple products, PCW have sold their computers for as long as I can remember and Currys since the iPod became popular. I'm happy to buy from them because I know I can return it to Apple for warranty work so why worry about the aftercare from C/PCW?
 
OllyW said:
You make it sound like they have only just started selling Apple products, PCW have sold their computers for as long as I can remember and Currys since the iPod became popular. I'm happy to buy from them because I know I can return it to Apple for warranty work so why worry about the aftercare from C/PCW?
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You've actually answered my question, without actually answering it. :)

You wouldn't take it back to C/PCW.

That emphasises my point that you know how shocking their service is, but what about people that don't know, the people that see an Apple sign in there, buy a Watch, but then take it back expecting the great service they received in their local Apple Store?

Apple allowing C/PCW is still a recipe for disaster IMO and I can foresee lots of peed off customers having to endure C/PCW's "service" if they have a problem.
 
BarryLegg said:
Oh it's great that another UK retailer will be carrying this. That means customers will finally be able to get a better chance look at it because it's always so crowded at the Apple store...

Oh wait...

IMG_4393_zpscif5wyrr.jpg


I took that photo a couple days ago at my local Apple store. Both those two tables in the middle are the Watch displays. It's like that every time I go past - no one looking at the watches. I watch people walk in and sort of pause while glancing at it, sometimes not even fully turning towards it, some will bend over and casually toy with it for maybe 15-25 seconds and then they walk over to the computers.
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Is this the cribs causeway store?

It's a misleading picture for a variety of reasons. Firstly all the people at the back are at the Genius Bar which is always busy there. The front 2 tables are also used for Mac Genius Bar appointments. To the left of that picture is the macbooks. To the right is the iPads and I believe some iPods too. Which means no one is looking at them either. You can see the new MacBook on the left which no one is looking at either. I've been to that store a lot and it's never busy anywhere other than the genius bars.
 
Azzin said:
You've actually answered my question, without actually answering it. :)

You wouldn't take it back to C/PCW.

That emphasises my point that you know how shocking their service is, but what about people that don't know, the people that see an Apple sign in there, buy a Watch, but then take it back expecting the great service they received in their local Apple Store?

Apple allowing C/PCW is still a recipe for disaster IMO and I can foresee lots of peed off customers having to endure C/PCW's "service" if they have a problem.
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To be fair, I would also use Apple for warranty work if I had bought a Mac from John Lewis, Selfridges, KRCS or any other Apple authorised retailer. If my iPhone ever breaks it will be going back to the Bullring Apple Store and not Three where I bought it from.

My favouring of Apple for customer service is not reserved to products purchased from C/PCW.
 
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