Comments on: What’s Wrong with Apple Stores?

By: What Wrong with Apple Stores retailgeek com | Uniform Stores

What Wrong with Apple Stores retailgeek com | Uniform Stores — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 12:49:57 +0000

[...] What Wrong with Apple Stores retailgeek com Posted by root 15 minutes ago (http://retailgeek.com) I can visit a best buy store every week and each time find some new product that wasn 39 t there the week before 5 comment s jazz1 mar 23 2009 reply the pos thing is confusing but they are going for a uniform look that would be ruined if you had retailgee Discuss | Bury | News | What Wrong with Apple Stores retailgeek com [...]

By: Eric

Eric — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 12:41:30 +0000

I think you raise some interesting points, but many of which are not really relevant to the way Apple does business(at least in their mind). You can look at what Apple does in one of two ways: Apple is a control freak and likes to maintain control over everything or Apple has a business plan/model to make a lot of money and it is working so why should they change it.

By: DK Smith

DK Smith — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 07:03:57 +0000

I am a retailer (not electronics) and I think your criticism is right on. The accessory and the where do I pay problem is particularly accurate. The object of retailing is to make it easy on the customer to give you their money! On the other hand, Apple’s level of customer service, customer training and support is unequaled.

By: Ron McElfresh

Ron McElfresh — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 23:55:45 +0000

Interesting and thoughtful points. Shopping accessories is painful but shouldn’t be, considering the margins Apple makes. There is some confusion over where to go to pay, though Apple store associates are usually quick to help someone who looks in need. Usually. I don’t go to the stores as often these days because there’s not much that’s new and too many newbies stand around asking questions. And, you’re right about Apple’s need to extend the buying process– let me shop online and show up at the local store to pick up what I want. Let me go to the store and pay via my iTunes account, Apple. As to scaling the store and their pack of associates, it’s likely that, as more stores open and closer together, each store would have somewhat fewer employes, revenue per square foot, etc. What a rough problem to have.

By: Russ

Russ — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 14:46:36 +0000

Absolutely dead on!!!! Your have hit the nail square on the head. I went to the Apple Store on this past weekend and I felt as though I was in a refrigerator. I could have walked around and looked until my tongue fell out. Oh, one other thing – I don’t type (keyboard) standing up. I have no idea how a keyboard on any new Mac feels because you can only experience them from the standing position. Would a chair or stool be out of order??? Perhaps they could be tucked under the high tables along the walls.

My feeling when returning to the Apple Store — “Nothing new here, move along”.

By: jazz1

jazz1 — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 14:25:55 +0000

The POS thing is confusing. I usually have to make my way to the end of the Genius Bar so I can get an education discount (as small as it is these days) on Apple products that still have them.

I agree that the accessories section is pretty packed on the walls. It is hard to tell if something new has shown up. But they are going for a uniform look that would be ruined if you had “new/improved” sticker starbursts on the products hanging of the wall.

As far as the “newbie” service thing goes I think my local Apple Store (West Des Moines, IA) does a great job of homing in on people that need help. I also see them nicely break off conversations with people that just want to shoot the bull when they see other customers in need of assistance. In fact the greeter pretty much leads the any customer to an Apple Store employee for the hand-off. Even better if that employee doesn’t know they find someone who does know whatever it is you need to know.

Maybe the smaller store Apple employees have a better “bedside manner”, but in Boston last summer I felt very well served the two times I visited while on vacation. Oddly, as big as the Apple Store was I didn’t see that they had any more third party products to show. So maybe accessories are just not their thing.