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Reports coming out no watches to buy in store during May but deliveries start on 24th

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kickingk

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Oct 22, 2007
20
0
Not sure if this has been mentioned, if yes, please delete. App no in store buys during May

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/apple/watch/11541116/Angela-Ahrendts-Apple-Watches-will-not-be-available-to-buy-in-store.html
 
OllyW

OllyW

Moderator
Staff member
Oct 11, 2005
17,196
6,792
The Black Country, England
Angela Ahrendts' memo to Apple retail store staff...

Team,

On behalf of Tim and the rest of the executive team, I want to thank you very much for making last Friday's debut of Apple Watch unforgettable. The Previews going on in our stores and support from our Contact Centers are unlike anything we have done before.

The feedback from customers is overwhelmingly positive. They are excited about Apple Watch, and your teams are creating fantastic experiences for them. Customers who pre-ordered will start receiving deliveries next Friday as planned, and I know you will do a great job helping them get set up.

Many of you have been getting questions asking if we will have the watch available in store on April 24 for walk-in purchases. As we announced last week, due to high global interest combined with our initial supply, we are only taking orders online right now. I'll have more updates as we get closer to in-store availability, but we expect this to continue through the month of May. It has not been an easy decision, and I want to share with you the thinking behind it.

It's important to remember that Apple Watch is not just a new product but an entirely new category for us. There's never been anything quite like it. To deliver the kind of service our customers have come to expect - and that we expect from ourselves - we designed a completely new approach. That's why, for the first time, we are previewing a new product in our stores before it has started shipping.

Apple Watch is also our most personal product yet, with multiple case and band options because it's an object of self-expression. Given the high interest and initial supply at launch, we will be able to get customers the model they want earlier and faster by taking orders online.

I know this is a different experience for our customers, and a change for you as well. Are we going to launch every product this way from now on? No. We all love those blockbuster Apple product launch days - and there will be many more to come. They're the moments where you, our teams, shine. And our customers love them as well!

Apple Watch is an exciting new product and we are at the start of a very exciting time at Apple. You're the best team on earth and you are doing an amazing job.

For customers who want to buy a watch, please continue to help them place their order online. Also make sure they know that, wherever they buy, Apple will provide them with a great Personal Setup experience - either online or in our stores. This includes syncing their Apple Watch with their iPhone and teaching them about all the incredible features of their new Apple Watch.

Thank you very much again, and I look forward to seeing you soon.

Best always,

Angela
Click to expand...
 
N

NJRonbo

macrumors 68040
Jan 10, 2007
3,023
1,053
This doesn't surprise me, if true.

Which leads me to a very interesting question...

I know this has been a very unusual launch for Apple.

However, it seems that they really favored the fact that they allowed people to preorder online and that all stock was delegated to those customers.

Is Apple making a smart move in shying away from their infamous long lines outside of stores and favoring the online community instead?

Moving forward, will Apple open preorders online first and risk not having product in stores for months?
 
K

kickingk

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Oct 22, 2007
20
0
Thanks OllyW, I was just going to paste that :). So hopefully we might get something next Friday :)
 
OllyW

OllyW

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Staff member
Oct 11, 2005
17,196
6,792
The Black Country, England
NJRonbo said:
Moving forward, will Apple open preorders online first and risk not having product in stores for months?
Click to expand...

This part of the memo suggests it could be just a one-off for the Watch.

I know this is a different experience for our customers, and a change for you as well. Are we going to launch every product this way from now on? No. We all love those blockbuster Apple product launch days - and there will be many more to come. They're the moments where you, our teams, shine. And our customers love them as well!
Click to expand...
 
D

dhurricane74

macrumors regular
Mar 17, 2011
125
0
No watches in store till June via Twitter

https://twitter.com/9to5mac/status/588659699693780992

If there won't be watches in store on 4/24.... Why draw out the "pre-order" phase so long? Ugh!!!
 
Foss

Foss

macrumors 6502
Sep 11, 2008
410
177
Customers who pre-ordered will start receiving deliveries next Friday as planned ...

Best news I've heard all week!
 
S

shenfrey

macrumors 68020
May 23, 2010
2,363
608
Foss said:
Customers who pre-ordered will start receiving deliveries next Friday as planned ...



Best news I've heard all week!
Click to expand...


So because I got 24/04-08/05, there's a good chance it will come on the 24th?
 
Foss

Foss

macrumors 6502
Sep 11, 2008
410
177
shenfrey said:
So because I got 24/04-08/05, there's a good chance it will come on the 24th?
Click to expand...

No one here know if there is a good chance, but a chance is confirmed at this point. I'm pretty sure no one will know until the order status updates start coming in. My guess would be sometime Monday to Wednesday next week when that will happen.
 
N

NJRonbo

macrumors 68040
Jan 10, 2007
3,023
1,053
shenfrey said:
So because I got 24/04-08/05, there's a good chance it will come on the 24th?
Click to expand...

I would say extremely probable you will get your watch on the 24th.

A couple million watches have been produced and ready to ship.
 
sulpfiction

sulpfiction

macrumors 68040
Aug 16, 2011
3,073
601
Philadelphia Area
They don't want lines at stores this go-round because it would be a complete mess!! People wanting all different styles, sizes, bands, etc. it would be mass confusion and more customers then not would be leaving the store without a watch, and pissed off. I totally get why apple is doing the "online only" thing to start.
 
Rogifan

Rogifan

macrumors Core
Nov 14, 2011
23,512
29,824
I know this is a different experience for our customers, and a change for you as well. Are we going to launch every product this way from now on? No. We all love those blockbuster Apple product launch days - and there will be many more to come. They're the moments where you, our teams, shine. And our customers love them as well!
Click to expand...

So will people stop moaning that Angela is ruining Apple now?
 
T

Tejas57

macrumors member
Apr 1, 2015
43
6
i'm in the 24th group but if they did reservations and i don't get my watch on the 24th i'll be sending an email to tim cook myself.

it would have been totally unfair to those who were up at midnight (or 3am or 5pm or whatever) for them to be waiting for pre-orders and for apple to basically sell to those coming off the street


sulpfiction said:
They don't want lines at stores this go-round because it would be a complete mess!! People wanting all different styles, sizes, bands, etc. it would be mass confusion and more customers then not would be leaving the store without a watch, and pissed off. I totally get why apple is doing the "online only" thing to start.
Click to expand...

i would think (as i posted above) that if they did open up instore orders it would be a reservation system (like they did with the iphone 6) where the customer has already selected the watch they want - all they do instore is buy the watch and help the customer pair it.
 
N

NJRonbo

macrumors 68040
Jan 10, 2007
3,023
1,053
Tejas57 said:
i'm in the 24th group but if they did reservations and i don't get my watch on the 24th i'll be sending an email to tim cook myself.

it would have been totally unfair to those who were up at midnight (or 3am or 5pm or whatever) for them to be waiting for pre-orders and for apple to basically sell to those coming off the street
Click to expand...

Agreed.

...but I am positive you'll find no reason to write Mr. Cook on the 24th
 
MrGimper

MrGimper

macrumors G3
Sep 22, 2012
8,056
10,743
Andover, UK
NJRonbo said:
I would say extremely probable you will get your watch on the 24th.

A couple million watches have been produced and ready to ship.
Click to expand...

Cool. Considering on the front page there is an article suggesting that total sales are 2.3m, we should all get our watches on the 24th regardless of delivery estimate

/sarcasm :cool:
 
mousematt

mousematt

macrumors 68000
Mar 7, 2015
1,688
1,736
UK
If Angela or anyone else says "Apple Watch is also our most personal product yet" again, I'm going to shoot myself.

It's a high-tech watch. Nothing more.
 
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