Why not sell case and strap separately?

[KauaiBruce]

They'll probably do that for the second generation so that people can upgrade their watch without buying a new strap.

I'm thinking they won't package the second gen with no strap. IF I bought a second gen I would get it with the sports strap and move my SS Link to the new one. I would then put the new strap I just got on my old watch to sell it to someone who cannot afford the gen 2 watch.

There are going to be plenty of resale's of gen 1 just like the iPhone. I finally dug my iPhone 5 out of the drawer last weekend and it sold on CL for $300 in just 10 minutes.

 

[mmartinezs]

To make more money

 

[Rogifan]

I've been upsold to the SS with the black sports band (in part) because I couldn't get the silver aluminium with the black sports band. I have no doubt Apple anticipated this and desired this outcome. It has absolutely nothing at all to do with logistics. The idea that Apple couldn't handle the logistics of separate straps and bodies is risible.

Wouldn't it be cheaper to buy the silver Sport watch and then buy a blank Sport band seperately? My guess is if enough people ask for this combination eventually Apple will offer it.

To make more money

What combination is Apple not selling that a lot of people would buy? The colored Sport bands have a silver aluminum pin. The leather bands have a polished stainless steel buckle. The only one I can think of is the black Sport band for the stainless steel watch as that one conceivably would work with the silver Sport watch. You could maybe say the same about the colored Sport bands and the stainless steel watch but I'm skeptical a lot of people would want that combination. And I highly doubt Apple chose not to offer the stainless steel watch with colored bands to make more money. If anything they probably did it because a)they weren't fond of the combination from an aesthetic point of view and b) were trying to keep the SKU's somewhat manageable.

 

[dannyyankou]

I'm thinking they won't package the second gen with no strap. IF I bought a second gen I would get it with the sports strap and move my SS Link to the new one. I would then put the new strap I just got on my old watch to sell it to someone who cannot afford the gen 2 watch.

There are going to be plenty of resale's of gen 1 just like the iPhone. I finally dug my iPhone 5 out of the drawer last weekend and it sold on CL for $300 in just 10 minutes.

What I'm thinking is that you can bring your old watch to an Apple Store and upgrade your case. I don't think they're going to change the form factor for a few years. Just pure speculation.

 

[Mr. Buzzcut]

No you are wrong.
That's why other products are not sold this way, as it's dumb.

You can store, and ship many many more bands seperatly, and just order the colour bands you need more stock of.

You sell a cake with a choice of 4 ribbon colours.
If your cake shop, you have the cakes in the store room, with no ribbons, and you have many hundreds of ribbons in stock as they take up almost no space.

When a customer wants a cake, you ask what colour ribbon they want, then you fit that ribbon to the cake and sell it.

Only a moron who does not understand stock control, would say, ok, the cake factory needs to fit ribbons on at the factory.

So we have to now stock 200 cakes with red ribbons, 200 cakes with yellow ribbons, 200 cakes with blue ribbons and 200 cakes with green ribbons.

that's dumb.

Do you realize cake shops don't have cakes delivered to them? Maybe Apple should ship each genius a soldering iron and a box of watch parts. I mean why package aluminum, stainless, and gold separately at the factory?

Folks should realize the watch price, at least the base model of each, would not change if it came sans strap. Just consider it a freebie and buy what you want to go with it. I'll admit the lack of basic black with sport is a bit perplexing but I still don't see it as an argument for shipping body only.

 

[KauaiBruce]

OK. Why are people so focused on how they might buy a watch years from now that has not even been discussed? I would hope that ANYONE watching this board now would not have to worry about the extra cost of a rubber watch band 2 or 3 years from now.

 

[MisterMe]

No you are wrong.
That's why other products are not sold this way, as it's dumb.

You can store, and ship many many more bands seperatly, and just order the colour bands you need more stock of.

You sell a cake with a choice of 4 ribbon colours.
If your cake shop, you have the cakes in the store room, with no ribbons, and you have many hundreds of ribbons in stock as they take up almost no space.

When a customer wants a cake, you ask what colour ribbon they want, then you fit that ribbon to the cake and sell it.

Only a moron who does not understand stock control, would say, ok, the cake factory needs to fit ribbons on at the factory.

So we have to now stock 200 cakes with red ribbons, 200 cakes with yellow ribbons, 200 cakes with blue ribbons and 200 cakes with green ribbons.

that's dumb.

Despite the fact that some automobile options are still sold as dealer installed accessories, manufacturers have been moving away from this model for decades now. There are two major flaws in your suggestion:

1. You suggest warehousing bands and cases separately. Manufacturers and vendors are moving away from this model because the cost of storage space is a major cost driver.
2. Final assembly of every Watch will be done at the point of sale. Anyone with the sense God gave red brick can identify a dozen problems that this can cause--for Apple, for the various retailers, and for the new Watch owners. I mean seriously. Do you really want Taylor to assemble your new Edition?

Think.

 

[Knowimagination]

No you are wrong.
That's why other products are not sold this way, as it's dumb.

You can store, and ship many many more bands seperatly, and just order the colour bands you need more stock of.

You sell a cake with a choice of 4 ribbon colours.
If your cake shop, you have the cakes in the store room, with no ribbons, and you have many hundreds of ribbons in stock as they take up almost no space.

When a customer wants a cake, you ask what colour ribbon they want, then you fit that ribbon to the cake and sell it.

Only a moron who does not understand stock control, would say, ok, the cake factory needs to fit ribbons on at the factory.

So we have to now stock 200 cakes with red ribbons, 200 cakes with yellow ribbons, 200 cakes with blue ribbons and 200 cakes with green ribbons.

that's dumb.

Sorry I must not have realized how much more qualified you are than Apple on these type things.

... have you given them your resume yet?

 

[technosix]

It sounds like many people interested in the watch can't afford it. I've been a watch enthusiast for years. Involved with watch makes that are far more expensive that Apple's. No one I know of is worried about price of straps or bracelets. Many cost more than Apple's entire watch.

 

[caligurl]

All watches are sold this way.

WRONG answer

----------

Not likely. Do any other companies do this?

yep.... michele brand does. you buy the watch face your want and then choose one of their MANY bands. (they do sell a line that is all inclusive, but the higher end with leather straps are separate purchases.)

 

[bunnicula]

WRONG answer

----------



yep.... michele brand does. you buy the watch face your want and then choose one of their MANY bands. (they do sell a line that is all inclusive, but the higher end with leather straps are separate purchases.)

Most all watches are sold this way. I don't think Apple was looking for the most obscure way to sell a watch when they came up with this "watches come with bands" method of packaging.

In reality, they've made the watches and bands in a way that makes almost every combo possible anyway, so I'm not seeing the need for snark.

Also, the appointments for the Edition are for the very purpose you described. People pick the watch and the style of band they want from the collection that goes with that watch. Then, they order it.

 

[Armen]

I have been saying this from day 1 as it's the only way of selling that makes sense, of course almost every disagree's

It's moronic in every way to pre-package the same watch with different colour straps at the factory, when you can just ship bodies and straps from the factory seperatly and only bring them together at the final point of sale.

Like you do with almost all other products.

What's more stupid is the scenario will happen that say you want a sports watch with a blue strap, but they don't have any boxed ones with blue straps they have sold out, so you have to buy one that comes pre-packaged with a green strap.
However, they do have "additional straps" for sale seperatly and they do have some in blue. so you have to buy the seperate add on blue strap and the watch boxed with green straps.

Again, utterly moronic way to sell items.

You're just a problem solver aren't you? Maybe the auto industry should ship their cars with no interiors and no engine so that the customer can pick and choose the interior and engine at the dealership and wait for the factory to install it.

After all, It's "moronic" for the factory to make the same color car with 3 different interior color options and 3 different engine configurations.

 

[Piggie]

You're just a problem solver aren't you? Maybe the auto industry should ship their cars with no interiors and no engine so that the customer can pick and choose the interior and engine at the dealership and wait for the factory to install it.

After all, It's "moronic" for the factory to make the same color car with 3 different interior color options and 3 different engine configurations.

Why post such silly things?

We are not talking about a car interior we are talking about something that had been designed to take seconds to fit, and be as user friendly as possible for the consumer to do.

If it takes seconds to do by anyone, then there is no need for factory pre-made combinations.

Certainly not for the sports model.
The scenario is going to be, you will not be able to buy the watch you want as they have run out of pre-packaged ones in your colour, but you can buy the optional bands as they have them seperatly in your colour.

So you buy both, then take 10 seconds to fit the bands you wanted in the 1st place and try to then sell the ones that came with the watch you don't want.

If they had not pre-packed the color combinations, none of this messing around would be needed.

 

[Armen]

Why post such silly things?

We are not talking about a car interior we are talking about something that had been designed to take seconds to fit, and be as user friendly as possible for the consumer to do.

If it takes seconds to do by anyone, then there is no need for factory pre-made combinations.

Certainly not for the sports model.
The scenario is going to be, you will not be able to buy the watch you want as they have run out of pre-packaged ones in your colour, but you can buy the optional bands as they have them seperatly in your colour.

So you buy both, then take 10 seconds to fit the bands you wanted in the 1st place and try to then sell the ones that came with the watch you don't want.

If they had not pre-packed the color combinations, none of this messing around would be needed.

What if you were to give someone an Apple watch as a gift. How does that work?

Piggie: Happy Birthday Jack!

Jack: Oh wow an Apple Watch!!!!!

**opens box to find just casing**

Jack: Umm, how do I wear this? there is no band.

Piggie: That's the beauty of it! They sell the band separately so you can choose whichever band you like.

Jack: You mean I have to order a band or go to the Apple store just to be able to wear this?

Piggie: Yes sir! here's a gift card for the band.


Now tell me which sounds more silly.

 

[maflynn]

[MOD NOTE]
This thread is devolving into petty bickering - closing.