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Ron Johnson Launching Gadget Delivery Service, Poaching Apple Employees

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Apr 12, 2001
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Apple's former retail chief Ron Johnson is planning to launch a "high-end, on-demand delivery service for gadgets, reports The Information's Jessica Lessin. The startup has reportedly been described as "Best Buy's Geek Squad meets Apple's Genius Bar."

MacRumors has heard similar rumors about Johnson's startup plans, with a source suggesting he's been attempting to recruit former and current Apple employees, including Jerry McDougal, who once served as Apple's vice president of retail under Johnson.

Before leaving Apple, Johnson worked at the company for more than 10 years. He's largely credited with transforming the Apple retail experience and setting the company on a path towards rapid retail growth. In 2011, Johnson left the company to take over as CEO of J.C. Penney, a position that he held for just two years.

Following Johnson's departure, Apple's retail division was left in flux, with no successor named. John Browett, formerly CEO of Dixons Retail, took over as head of retail at Apple in 2012, but he was ousted later that same year. Apple remained without a retail chief until the hiring of Angela Ahrendts, former Burberry CEO, who officially joined the company in May 2014.

Article Link: Ron Johnson Launching Gadget Delivery Service, Poaching Apple Employees
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2014/09/23/ron-johnstone-apple-gadget-delivery/
I'm confused...

high-end, on-demand delivery service for gadgets
Click to expand...

This makes me think that it's some kind of delivery company, like Dominos or UPS or something. Order a device and have someone drive up to your house in a limo with it am hour later?

(By the way, this is missing an end quote)

Best Buy's Geek Squad meets Apple's Genius Bar
Click to expand...

This makes me think of... well, Geek Squad, I guess. They send technicians out that help you with your products.

So which is it? Or is it both? If it's both that seems oddly scattered for a startup.
 
Seems to me like this is a service for the virgin-nerds that work in high-tech that absolutely needs things right ****ing now...
 
well considering his last venture in retail was a disaster (JC Penney). He almost put a 100+ year old retail company out of business by being completely out of touch.

I don't see this going past idea stage.
 
Most of the people this would be targeted at already have assistants to do the same thing.
 
He who smelt it....

This gentleman fell flat on his face in the retail business when he was handed the keys to a large business with stores across the country. My gut is that much of the concept work for the apple retail experience was conceptualized by someone else and executed in development by this man much the pay that a project manner oversees the development of the plans of an architect. It took an incredibly obtuse and arrogant person to fiddle with J.C. Penny and make an enemy of everyone from bottom tier retail worker to top board member. He was run out on a rail. It is ironic that he did not want to stay at apple, but he still wants to make a living off apple. It is somewhat vampirish.
 
+1 for lazy people

...like me.

I'm not in San Francisco or NYC, though, so I will probably never get to take advantage of this.

Someone needs to deliver breakfast in the Pittsburgh area. They'd make so much money from me. Startup idea. Do it.
 
i'm guessing the missing link is that you can have your weed delivered with your smartphone?

Amazon prime is pretty competitive. Must be catering to the severely technically illiterate.
 
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