Details on Apple Retail's New In-Store Pick Up and Self Check Out Process

[spacepower7]

I imagine the shelf checkout won't be as much looting as you all expect. Probably got some people watching it. I mean self checkout is everywhere such as grocery stores. Only downside for Apple is the sheer amount of traffic that makes most stores look like a mosh pit.

I think alot of shoplifting is a crime of opportunity. I think people would be less likely to try in an Apple retail store because the open floor plan. I also think that the huge crowds are a deterrent since they would cause a scene and major embarrassment.

The people I knew who shoplifted in grade school did it stores where they couldn't be seen by employees or other customers and without crowds to cause embarrassment. Funny when one guy got caught, he was paraded through the mall by security. He never stole again.

I'm not saying people won't try it, but most realize the potential to get caught and the resulting embarrassment is not worth it for a $30 case.

* This sales system definitely seems like it was planned by Steve, trusting in the greater good of humanity.

 

[notjustjay]

This is what I was thinking as well

They would just need unique barcodes linked to unique RFIDs for every item, which is doable, and an in store security system linked to their purchasing system

That would be way too much work to implement.

Standard UPC codes just say "this is product XYZ", they don't uniquely identify the individual package. So they'd need to add or replace bar codes on every product with one that says "this is product XYZ, serial number 123". Then attach a unique RFID tag (again, not just "this is XYZ", but an individual serial number) to each product. Then, I guess when inventory comes in, associate each individual barcode with each individual RFID tag. Then, the door alarms would have to scan not just for the presence of an active security tag, but read the individual ID, and correlate it with a "purchased/deactivated" list before sounding an alarm.

Possible, perhaps, but totally impractical.

 

[puma1552]

I HATE that about Costco! First you get annoyed about your card going in even though you couldn't purchase anything without one, and then harassed further when leaving. ANNOYING!

Do explain in more detail

 

[tylerk36]

Hmm. What are those dinning places where you eat off the floor? Maybe this can be one. Looks really sterile. My kind of place.

 

[bearbear]

In my Apple Store experiences, they had zero people dedicated to checking people out. Buying small ticket items has been a nightmare for years and I welcome the change.

agreed. Apple stores are great...until you actually want to buy something.

 

[YeahBuddy]

So in other words, the new Self Check Out Process is Apple's new "EasyTheft" program, right?

 

[notjustjay]

Do explain in more detail

Costco is a "members only" store. So you need to show them your membership card on the way in. Then, on the way out, there are people at the exits who want to glance over your receipt (and take a quick look at the goods in your cart). They don't pore over it and they don't generally give you a hard time, but they are there to prevent theft.

 

[puma1552]

Costco is a "members only" store. So you need to show them your membership card on the way in. Then, on the way out, there are people at the exits who want to glance over your receipt (and take a quick look at the goods in your cart). They don't pore over it and they don't generally give you a hard time, but they are there to prevent theft.

That's pretty asinine...I knew about the membership card, but to pay for a membership card and then get hassled like a thief on the way out of the store is pretty bogus IMO. Then again I think it's bad enough having to walk by the loss prevention Dbag at Best Buy on the way in and out of the store as it is.

 

[appleappleappleapple]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A334 Safari/7534.48.3)

This question keeps coming up. But, if you think about it, this shopping experience won't be any different than what they already have in place as far as theft is concerned. Right now, I could buy a product from one employee, deny a bag and walk out the door while the other employees have no idea if I paid or not.

Apple has never seemed concerned about the customers who may steal (which happens everywhere) but rather offering the best shopping experience to the customer. Also, most apple stores don't have security checkpoints at the door..

 

[chairguru22]

My guess is that's how this is going to work. When you buy the item, the security device will be deactivated. How it will work, I have no idea, but it seems logical.

Apple stores don't have security devices within packaging or at the doors. There are devices tied down to displays but none in actual product. No deactivation needed because it doesn't exist.

I used to work at a store. Most shrink was in-house. Most commonly stolen items were cases. Chump-change to Apple that doesn't really hurt their bottom line.

 

[mjtomlin]

Somehow I think that shoplifting will become easy. Someone could pretend to scan something with their phone, pretend to pay for it, then walk out. How will they know?

The store would still have an inventory system. If security sees what looks like you scanning something to purchase it, and the inventory system doesn't show the item count decrease, then obviously you never really scanned it.

 

[shartypants]

What siren?

Maybe Apple put something in iOS5 that when someone leaves a store without paying, the siren ringtone on everyone's phone in the store goes off.

 

[chairguru22]

Ever go to a store and see their fake plastic demo products or the real ones that are chained down and all the other products that are hidden away behind cases. That prevents lots of theft but also prevents lots of sales. I wouldn't buy something unless I could see it in my hands fully functioning.

The sales Apple would gain in doing something like this I think would greatly out number the losses.

 

[charlituna]

Customers will receive a pick-up date and a push notification to the App will let you know when it has arrived. Again, 12 minutes from the push notification, the order will be ready for pickup

Given it is already paid for, once it arrives it should be ready for pickup. There's nothing they have to do other after they confirm arrival so you get the pushed alert

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What happens when you leave the store after a self check out and the box starts letting off sirens when you leave because you didn't disarm the anti theft device inside the box!

You assume there are anti-theft devices in the boxes. There probably aren't for the same stuff you can do this stuff check out for. It doesn't work for computers etc, just stuff like iPad chargers and phone cases

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Thanks Tim cook for finally integrating the online and retail apple stores.

given that this likely took way more than 2 months to put together I wouldn't be saying Thanks Tim anymore than the charity gig that probably took months to put together, the whole thanksgiving paid days off that Steve started years ago etc.

More like Thanks Tim and Steve

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So how is your plainclothes security, cameras and force attuned employees going to tell that someone isn't just holding their phone up like they are buying an item in-app when they're not?

According to my source, they do have ways to see all the self paid transactions and they have already kept the right to check bags, ask for a receipt etc.

So if the LP person thinks something is wrong they can and will check

 

[kiljoy616]

So this is a good thing for all those Anti-Social personality disorder types. I can see it now, no one has to talk to them, they come in they pick up put it in their pocket and walk out without having to look at anyone in the yes.

For me I think for the price I pay I want at least one fake smile per purchase.

 

[trevorplease]

What I want to know is if you can use itunes store credit on hardware purchases such as computers and iphones please!!!

 

[charlituna]

huh? Are you claiming to have inside info on Apples plans imparticular or are you just very uninformed when it comes to the capabilities of current technology

Apple has never had security gates before, why would they add them now and put out a message that they don't trust customers. ANd if they don't trust customers why do this system at all.

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What I want to know is if you can use itunes store credit on hardware purchases such as computers and iphones please!!!

My sources say no. iTunes credits only work for iTunes. although this is the same apple id for many it is actually linked to the online store not the iTunes store.

 

[kiljoy616]

agreed. Apple stores are great...until you actually want to buy something.

What apple store do you people go to. I have visited 3 in different areas never had to wait much or have any problem getting something. True if your the anal retentive type who has to have something within a second of it coming into your mind then sure Apple store are also. Try online.

Now if your saying the day of a big release your not getting the mad attention you so much want... grow up.

I can see this working but who actually benefits from it. As before is it really that hard for people to actually interact with someone.

 

[tigress666]

Plus most shoplifters probably aren't really smart enough to realize this system exists and will instead focus on ripping off the more expensive merchandise.

That might work at first. But shoplifters figure these things out. They aren't _that_ dumb, though I swear they use the same damned excuse when returning items. Soon as I hear them tell a story that follows a trend of story-lines they give themselves away. And I've been working retail for years... the story never changes (it really boggles me honestly).

Oh, and people steal the cheapest things. I was in an art store and noticed some one had absconded with a 2 dollar eraser. All the time in the store I work at people stole 5 dollar dog whistles. It's ridiculous the stupid stuff people steal. So don't think just cause an item is cheap means it won't get stolen.

 

[charlituna]

Oh no, during the queues for the iPad 3, people will do this and there will be cutting, congestion and chaos. This will spark fury and rage among Apple and customers

It won't really matter so much since everyone in line will have ordered and paid and selected in store pick up. So they will just be signing and walking out with their purchase. And even while they are stuck outside due to fire code issues, they know that their stuff is safe from some "I just need to grab a phone code" douche that is trying to get inside to try to grab an iPad without waiting. though for years if it was a launch day and you asked for that product you were told to go outside to the line.

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I used to work at a store. Most shrink was in-house. Most commonly stolen items were cases. Chump-change to Apple that doesn't really hurt their bottom line.

seems like most in house shrink would be things like discount fraud. you know, ringing up someone that is a friend that you know isn't a student as a student to give him that $100 off. things like that

 

[gcastillo]

The store would still have an inventory system. If security sees what looks like you scanning something to purchase it, and the inventory system doesn't show the item count decrease, then obviously you never really scanned it.

Theoretically, I suppose they could do that, but it would be so hard to track with so many people making transactions in a short period of time. Also, I doubt Apple will care that much as to assign someone to check inventory levels while people purchase items. That seems really inefficient.

 

[ytk]

I HATE that about Costco! First you get annoyed about your card going in even though you couldn't purchase anything without one, and then harassed further when leaving. ANNOYING!

I asked one time why they check membership cards at the entrance, and they said it was because they want to make sure you have a card BEFORE you get to the checkout line and hold everything up when you can't buy anything. Sometimes people forget their cards, and sometimes people don't even realize you need a card to shop there. But if you don't have a card, it's a waste of everyone's time for you to shop there; so I can actually see the point of this, given how bad the checkout lines at Costco usually are.

Anyway, it's not really hard to bypass the check. Half the time you can just walk in and they don't say anything anyway. And if you do get questioned, you can say you're going to the pharmacy (by federal law they have to let you fill prescriptions without a membership) or that your spouse has the card and is already in the store. Or even just say you want to get a membership.

I generally find the whole receipt checking concept irritating and waste of time, and I almost never bother showing my receipt at most stores (usually I'll just walk on by with a cheerful "No thanks!" when asked), but for some reason showing my receipt at Costco doesn't annoy me. Partly because it's one of the things you agree to when you sign up for a membership, but also because it means I can leave my cart outside the bathroom while I go and take a whiz after checking out without any fear of anything being stolen from my cart. After all, if I notice something missing, I can just go grab another one from the shelf, and as long as I haven't left the store yet they can't claim I didn't pay for it.

 

[the8thark]

More like Thanks Tim and Steve

You forgot to thank Ron Johnson too.

 

[SvenSvenson]

That would be way too much work to implement.

Standard UPC codes just say "this is product XYZ", they don't uniquely identify the individual package. So they'd need to add or replace bar codes on every product with one that says "this is product XYZ, serial number 123". Then attach a unique RFID tag (again, not just "this is XYZ", but an individual serial number) to each product.

That bit's easy. The additional barcodes would come on a long roll and the store would stick one onto every product next to the product bar code. These additional barcodes would need to be readable remotely (i.e. from a few meters away) - I'm sure this is possible but not sure about the additional expense.

Then, I guess when inventory comes in, associate each individual barcode with each individual RFID tag. Then, the door alarms would have to scan not just for the presence of an active security tag, but read the individual ID, and correlate it with a "purchased/deactivated" list before sounding an alarm.

Possible, perhaps, but totally impractical.

Not at all. Now every product has a unique barcode. The customer scans the barcodes on their phone and gets billed for whatever product the original barcode says it is. Then the store's security system gets notified that product number 'x' (from the additional barcode) has been purchased. If the store's security system detects product number 'x' heading for an exit without being purchased, then action is taken.

 

[dontmatter]

Theft.