Apple retail chief Ron Johnson officially departs with no replacement
As was previously announced, Apple's head of retail operations, Ron Johnson, departed the company on Tuesday, though Apple has not yet named a successor.
Johnson's name and picture were completely removed from Apple's official list of executive profiles on Tuesday. The removal coincides with Johnson's previously scheduled Nov. 1 departure from the company.
Johnson is moving on to be the new chief executive of retailer J.C. Penney. He takes over that role on Tuesday after spending the last 11 years as senior vice president of retail at Apple.
After working as a key merchandising executive at Target for 15 years, Johnson was personally lured away by Apple's Steve Jobs in 2000 to spearhead the company's retail business. He is now renowned for creating an international chain of retail stores that are among the world's most profitable per square foot.
He also pioneered the successful "Genius Bar" concept that has become a staple of Apple's stores -- a concept that Jobs himself was initially against.
The removal of Johnson from Apple's executive profiles page leaves no one listed as the head of the company's retail operations. The company said in June, after Johnson announced his departure, that it was "actively recruiting" for a new retail chief, while in August the company took its search abroad in hopes of finding a replacement with international retail experience.
The international component of Apple's retail business will be the most crucial element going forward. The company announced in its quarterly earnings conference call last month that it plans to open 40 new retail stores in the current quarter, with about three-quarters of them outside the U.S.
Rather than build additional stores in America, Apple is looking to expand its current, established storefronts in order to better serve customers. Officials at Apple admitted that its current stateside retail stores are "too constrained" to properly serve customers.
Johnson's name and picture were completely removed from Apple's official list of executive profiles on Tuesday. The removal coincides with Johnson's previously scheduled Nov. 1 departure from the company.
Johnson is moving on to be the new chief executive of retailer J.C. Penney. He takes over that role on Tuesday after spending the last 11 years as senior vice president of retail at Apple.
After working as a key merchandising executive at Target for 15 years, Johnson was personally lured away by Apple's Steve Jobs in 2000 to spearhead the company's retail business. He is now renowned for creating an international chain of retail stores that are among the world's most profitable per square foot.
He also pioneered the successful "Genius Bar" concept that has become a staple of Apple's stores -- a concept that Jobs himself was initially against.
The removal of Johnson from Apple's executive profiles page leaves no one listed as the head of the company's retail operations. The company said in June, after Johnson announced his departure, that it was "actively recruiting" for a new retail chief, while in August the company took its search abroad in hopes of finding a replacement with international retail experience.
The international component of Apple's retail business will be the most crucial element going forward. The company announced in its quarterly earnings conference call last month that it plans to open 40 new retail stores in the current quarter, with about three-quarters of them outside the U.S.
Rather than build additional stores in America, Apple is looking to expand its current, established storefronts in order to better serve customers. Officials at Apple admitted that its current stateside retail stores are "too constrained" to properly serve customers.
Comments
against a Windows ipod
against iphone apps
against the genius bar
Rather than build additional stores in America, Apple is looking to expand its current, established storefronts in order to better serve customers. Officials at Apple admitted that its current stateside retail stores are "too constrained" to properly serve customers.
Too constrained? WTF does that even mean?
Maybe they should get rid of the "museum of technology" look and set things up with more and better POS displays.
has steve jobs been for any awesome idea at apple in the last 10 years?
against a Windows ipod
against iphone apps
against the genius bar
And yet, that is what mark a genius, being able to be receptive and change ideas for the best.
Awesome Steve...
has steve jobs been for any awesome idea at apple in the last 10 years?
against a Windows ipod
against iphone apps
against the genius bar
A.I., if this site so readily attracts rubbish such as this, perhaps it's time to move on.
Too constrained? WTF does that even mean?
Maybe they should get rid of the "museum of technology" look and set things up with more and better POS displays.
"That museum technology" has produced the biggest revenue fer sq in the world..., toma castaña
Too constrained? WTF does that even mean?
Maybe they should get rid of the "museum of technology" look and set things up with more and better POS displays.
most people want to see a $2000 laptop in person before they buy. try to find an expensive dell or lenovo in a store
Sad this guy is leaving after 11 years- I wonder if it's because of Cook?
Ron Johnson leaving Apple is a huge black eye to Apple. This is the beginning of the end. Welcome to post-Steve Apple.
Please post instructions to direct me to where you want me to go....
I am ready to join the dark side with ppl like you
hehehehehe
has steve jobs been for any awesome idea at apple in the last 10 years?
against a Windows ipod
against iphone apps
against the genius bar
against cancer surgery
Ok, that was terrible... but I seriously wonder how many good things are going to happen now that Jobs is gone? He had great vision for creating awesome products, but he could also oppose great/common sense ideas with a religious fervor.
Ron Johnson leaving Apple is a huge black eye to Apple. This is the beginning of the end. Welcome to post-Steve Apple.
The announcement that Ron Johnson was leaving Apple happened before Steve stepped down as CEO. This isn't anything new in corporate America. The difference being can Apple continue to replace their top employees with others that have as much vision as the ones they've been lucky enough to attract in the last decade or so.
"That museum technology" has produced the biggest revenue fer sq in the world..., toma castaña
Dunno about biggest in the world, I've not seen that stat.
They do very, very well. Better than many other huge, international retailers. Better than any other single-brand store that I am aware of.
Can they do even better? Will they stick with the spare, empty look forever and ever? That remains to be seen.
Ron Johnson leaving Apple is a huge black eye to Apple. This is the beginning of the end. Welcome to post-Steve Apple.
You might be jumping the gun a little. Considering how profitable Apple is these days and how high-profile they are, they will attract the best of the best applicants to fill the role.
against cancer surgery
Ok, that was terrible... but I seriously wonder how many good things are going to happen now that Jobs is gone? He had great vision for creating awesome products, but he could also oppose great/common sense ideas with a religious fervor.
Huh? Didn't he listen in the end and reverse himself? So your examples actually contradict your assertion of 'religious fervor' in opposing great/common sense ideas?
Nobody gets everything right. The key is knowing when to change your mind and accept that the other person is right. You tell me, based on Apple's outcomes, do you think Steve got most of his decisions wrong?
Ron Johnson leaving Apple is a huge black eye to Apple. This is the beginning of the end. Welcome to post-Steve Apple.
Post-Steve Apple began with the delayed launch of the i4S.
against cancer surgery
Ok, that was terrible... but I seriously wonder how many good things are going to happen now that Jobs is gone?
HOPEFULLY:
1.) An option to turn on/off Flash for iOS
2.) Matte screens on iMacs
3.) Blu-ray support
5.) HDMI on all Macs
6.) Safari and apps on ATV.
7.) End of keynotes - only self serving to the master showman. A disaster without him.
8.) More Woz.
A.I., if this site so readily attracts rubbish such as this, perhaps it's time to move on.
Just click on his username on the left, then click "User Lists" and "Add to Ignore List" and you'll never see his comments again.
Ron Johnson leaving Apple is a huge black eye to Apple. This is the beginning of the end. Welcome to post-Steve Apple.
Are you going to say this every time someone quits their job at Apple? Other than a knee jerk reaction, please explain your reasoning. What retail strategies does Apple need to do that requires this guy?
against cancer surgery
Ok, that was terrible... but I seriously wonder how many good things are going to happen now that Jobs is gone? He had great vision for creating awesome products, but he could also oppose great/common sense ideas with a religious fervor.
As long as they don't give into the armchair CEOs then Apple should do ok. Look at how successful Apple is today - you don't want them to screw it up with silly products to appease a handful of geeks in a forum, do you?
HOPEFULLY:
1.) An option to turn on/off Flash
2.) Matte screens on iMacs
3.) Blu-ray support
5.) HDMI on all Macs
6.) Safari and apps on ATV.
7.) End of keynotes - only self serving to the master showman. A disaster without him.
8.) More Woz.
Those are ALL the exact opposite of what needs to happen. Every single one of them. Particularly six and eight.
Those are ALL the exact opposite of what needs to happen. Every single one of them. Particularly six and eight.
You're still locked in the Steve Jobs reality distortion field- even POST death.
Dunno about biggest in the world, I've not seen that stat.
OK, here's for the US, year ending Q3 2011.
Retail sales per Sq. Ft.
Worldwide is probably not much difference.