Little interest in store

[Pagemakers]

Just visited the Trafford Ctr store in Manchester UK. Saturday.

I was the only person looking at watches. Very little interest by anybody else in the busy store. When I left the try-one table (no appointment necessary) it was several minutes before anybody else stopped by to ask questions or look at the product.

The self-play area had 1 or 2 users (about 20%) utilised.

I remember when the iPhone came out (not version 1) and people were almost fighting just to look at the device.

 

[Manatlt]

Little interest in store

People were fighting to look at the watch on April 10th. Should have visited your store then. Also if I was in that store TODAY, I'll say it's no point looking at those watches if I can't buy them here. This is like the product EVER from I can remember that you cannot buy the manufacturer's product from the actual manufacturer.

 

[Pagemakers]

I’ve visited several times previously and honestly, I’ve seen very little interest.

 

[largefarrva]

People were fighting to look at the watch on April 10th. Should have visited your store then. Also if I was in that store TODAY, I'll say it's no point looking at those watches if I can't buy them here. This is like the product EVER from I can remember that you cannot buy the manufacturer's product from the actual manufacturer.

I was going to post something similar to this. Kind of difficult to get excited or interested in something when you know right off the bat that you can't get one for at least a month or two in the majority of product choices (save the one or two choices that nobody wants).

 

[cardfan]

Who really cares? You were interested so that should be enough for you. It's not like this product is going to flop and you won't any future watches. Apple is all in on this. People have had a couple of weeks to try on these things. They know they have to order online.

Besides, Apple would tell you they're selling them as fast as they can make them.

 

[telefono]

I too noticed the same thing with my one visit and a few other times walking past the Apple Store.

I don't have my Apple Watch yet, still processing. I'm comfortable in saying I'm obsessed with the whole idea and can't wait to get it.

My first and only visit to see the Apple Watch AFTER ordering it I noticed just like you not too many people all over the Apple Watch in store. This I thought would be right since they are not available for sale in store.

I don't get some of the media saying the Apple Watch isn't successful because of no lines and stores are empty etc etc etc.

We pre-ordered weeks ago online and were clearly told they will NOT be available for sale any time soon from the Apple Stores. People ordered them including myself seconds/minutes/hours after they became available to buy online. For weeks now people have gone into the stores to see what they actually bought or potentially will buy or not.

If the iPhone 6 on launch day wasn't available to buy from the Apple Stores no-one including myself would have lined up for it OBVIOUSLY and the Media would have said it failed even if it sold well via online only.

 

[DynaFXD]

I’ve visited several times previously and honestly, I’ve seen very little interest.

You do realize these observations are worthless, right? By all means don't let dissuade you from posting them, but they're worthless. My store had a lot of activity around watches two days ago, so.....we cancel out? If you really want some worthwhile observations, camp out in the store from opening to closing for two weeks and record activity. Interview people you see looking at watches to gauge interest, then interview store staff. Then go to another store and wash-rinse-repeat. Maybe do it a few more times. THEN bring that market research back to us. I would find it very interesting
Otherwise, you know I didn't see anyone die today. Miracle of miracles nobody in the world died today!

 

[djrm]

My thoughts are the same but I think you have to ask yourself why. IMHO it's because smart watches are relatively new, they don't capture people's imagination in the same way as the iPhone did to phones and people don't think they need one in their life.

Smart watches are something you have to wear to understand. As a Samsung gear wearer for about 8 months I know just how fantastic it can be and was the only thing I missed about moving back to Apple.

The more people get to see them, play with them, hear people rave about them you'll find the interest hype to the max, by version 3 there will be queues around the block

 

[kinster]

People were fighting to look at the watch on April 10th. Should have visited your store then. Also if I was in that store TODAY, I'll say it's no point looking at those watches if I can't buy them here. This is like the product EVER from I can remember that you cannot buy the manufacturer's product from the actual manufacturer.

What a stupid thing to say? I'm still undecided which to get and am currently looking at the mid-range version. So people still want to look.

 

[Piggie]

This does all fit in with the Scenario most people felt was probably going to happen, including myself.

The Watch, unlike the Phone, will (has) had a much stronger initial wave of buyers, but this strong wave will fall away/drop back much faster than with the iPhone.

We may be wrong, but I'd guess, once the initial, must have Apple fans have all got theirs, it's going to be a much longer, drawn out, slow burn, than with the iPhone, iPod, iPad etc.

I feel most here thought this would probably be the case, as it's not a new product as such that does a lot of new things, just an addition to the device you already have.
Not a must have item for many.

Plus of course, the people who have learned not to buy a 1st gen item, given the quite high, for many, price points.

 

[Gravemold]

I went to my Apple Store yesterday around closing time to ask a question about where the display meets the housing and the employee said, hey he's the first one in here today with an apple watch! They all came around me to see "one in the flesh" as one employee put it

 

[wolfpackfan]

I went into my local Apple Store yesterday and nobody was looking at the test models or even trying them on. Since I've ordered a 42mm Space Grey but haven't actually tried one on, I asked one of the blue shirts if I could try one. She looked very bored and bothered that I had interrupted whomever she was texting and asked "do you have an appointment?". I looked around and said "you got to be kidding". She said "you have to have an appointment to try one on". I said "forget it, too complicated, I can see you're busy, sorry to have bothered you" and walked off. Went back to playing with a model. Someone right behind me walked in and asked another blue shirt if they could try one on and he said "sure, come on over, that is why we are here". I think Apple must be lowering their standards for hiring. I guess they were expecting a big rush of folks, that never really materialized.

 

[kinster]

It's usually teenagers that fill up that store turning up the speakers remotely and being a nuisance. I find it's probably the older generation that are looking at Watches.

 

[Fiestaman]

I went into my local Apple Store yesterday and nobody was looking at the test models or even trying them on. Since I've ordered a 42mm Space Grey but haven't actually tried one on, I asked one of the blue shirts if I could try one. She looked very bored and bothered that I had interrupted whomever she was texting and asked "do you have an appointment?". I looked around and said "you got to be kidding". She said "you have to have an appointment to try one on". I said "forget it, too complicated, I can see you're busy, sorry to have bothered you" and walked off. Went back to playing with a model. Someone right behind me walked in and asked another blue shirt if they could try one on and he said "sure, come on over, that is why we are here". I think Apple must be lowering their standards for hiring. I guess they were expecting a big rush of folks, that never really materialized.

I've run into this myself a few times recently. I would make a point of sharing your experience with Apple. I've dealt with a couple ********s at the Genius bar and Apple was eager to hear about it. The manager of the store even called me to hear all about the ordeal each time so they could rectify.

 

[Tsuchiya]

I'm not surprised. There is only so much novelty in using a limited version of the Watch, or trying on different straps.

 

[Lucifer666]

It's not anything like a phone. It's more like a tarted up iPod Nano++

Also, not being able to buy one might have something to do with it

 

[The Doctor11]

Should have been there on the 10th. There was interest!

 

[jkdem85]

I’ve visited several times previously and honestly, I’ve seen very little interest.

I went to my local store in Philadelphia area. I had bought a 42 ss wsb off Craigslist and wore it in. I was swarmed by people and apple employees, I was the first person they saw with one. There were a ton of people trying on watches as well. This was 1pm on a workday in suburban nj

 

[drew0020]

The watches will sell initially because it's Apple but I agree once the novelty wears off these are going to be a tough sell especially at the current prices. Drop the Sport to $199 and the Watch to $399 and maybe that will generate more interest but once the new iPhones are anounced in Sept/Oct I expect even less interest in the watches.

I have the 42mm Milanese loop and while it's a nice accessory, it is in no way a $699 plus tax accessory.

 

[Rayban]

Also, not being able to buy one might have something to do with it

Exactly what I was thinking.
I think everyone that was thinking about a watch, went to the store to check them out between the 10th and 17th.
For the record: I didn't go to the store at all and I'm wearing my Apple Watch right now.

 

[mightyjabba]

I'm not sure you can just say that nobody's looking at them because they're not available, because I don't think the average user would even be aware of that. If there was a huge amount of interest being drummed up from the ads and so forth, then people would be stopping by the stores to at least look at them and ask about them.

 

[ninethirty]

I went to the Michigan Ave store in Chicago on the 11th and walked right up to the watches. I told them I had an appt to try on one and they asked if my wife wanted to as well because there was plenty of people to help and lots of time.

I'd have to agree with OP. There's not as much interest for this as there is with other Apple products. Not a single person I'm friends with on Facebook bought one, and a very large # of us are still showing off our iPhones when we get them on launch day.

Not saying the product is a dud launch or anything, but interest isn't anywhere near as high as it is with the iPhone or iPad.

People were fighting to look at the watch on April 10th. Should have visited your store then. Also if I was in that store TODAY, I'll say it's no point looking at those watches if I can't buy them here. This is like the product EVER from I can remember that you cannot buy the manufacturer's product from the actual manufacturer.

 

[nebo1ss]

My experience last week is very similar to the OP. I wondered into the Covent Garden store in London after having lunch in the area and found one person doing a try on appointment and maybe a couple of others looking at the samples in the glasss cases and playing with the hands on models. I was probably in the store for about 15 minutes. I am sitting on the fence with the watch at the moment mainly because of battery life and not too sure about the fitness aspects. However, I was very impressed with the look and feel of the watch.

 

[wolfpackfan]

I'd have to agree with OP. There's not as much interest for this as there is with other Apple products. Not a single person I'm friends with on Facebook bought one, and a very large # of us are still showing off our iPhones when we get them on launch day.

I'd have to go further than saying lack of interest, my family and friends think I'm crazy for having one on order. They can't believe I'm spending $400 for a watch. But they also know I'm a gadget geek and just write me off as crazy anyway when it comes to these things. My defense is, sometimes you just have to pamper yourself. I have two grown children and have certainly spent a lot of money on them over the years. Time for me to treat myself is the way I look at it.

 

[Chupa Chupa]

For the average tech-adverse consumer its hard to get excited about a product that you may not be able to actually have until weeks or months later. Also Apple hasn't done much (probably on purpose) explaining why the avg consumer should buy a watch. Personally, I think Apple understands the watch is not 100% ready for prime time and is pulling back its promotion of it until later this year when it has more data points from early adopters and can smooth out the kinks and also has a larger library of apps. I'd look for a larger consumer push this fall and wouldn't make too much of in-store interest right now.