Agreed. The comparisons to Dixions are irrelevant. Apple is not a reseller where prices are manipulated or unethical sales practices are deployed. The price is always the same no matter where you buy Apple products except a few online outlets where there are small discounts. Apple stores are an extension of the Apple.com store.
I see a lot of travel in this guys future. Making deals regarding location, leases, tenant improvements, employment agencies and the like. I don't think we will see any significant changes in the current Apple retail store model.
Ya, they've spent a decade building the most profitable retail stores in the world. It aint broke This guy wasn't hired to make changes to the apple retail experience. He was hired to open stores, like you said. The Apple store is kinda symbolic of Apple's OS's: simple, tasteful, understandable, inviting, user friendly. The Apple store is the public face of the company, I think if any large and ill changes come the blame should be on Tim Cook. Their stores are too integral to who they are as a company. And again, the new guy will be spending so much of his time filling his passport with stamps he won't have time to make fundamental changes to the retail experience.
Remember, Ron Johnson came from Target, and while they have some cute TV ads, Targets are generally a typical, boring mess of departments and products, with little or no help floor help. Yet none of that migrated to Apple.
I'd imagine Browett will be executing an already well-thought out retail plan with Apple and not making large sea changes for some time, if ever. Johnson was strong in general retail knowledge and execution skills, perhaps those are Browett's strengths as well, but with a more European foundation.
It seems odd that the company with the best customer service record around hires someone who's in charge of a company with one of the worst customer service records around.
He's been at Dixon only four years, so older problems are not his doing. From the New York Times:
"One of the first things Mr. Browett did when he took over Dixons in 2007 was to scrap sales commissions and base staff bonuses on customer satisfaction. Now, employees can earn a bonus even if they miss sales targets as long as their store excels in customer satisfaction."
Comments
Agreed. The comparisons to Dixions are irrelevant. Apple is not a reseller where prices are manipulated or unethical sales practices are deployed. The price is always the same no matter where you buy Apple products except a few online outlets where there are small discounts. Apple stores are an extension of the Apple.com store.
I see a lot of travel in this guys future. Making deals regarding location, leases, tenant improvements, employment agencies and the like. I don't think we will see any significant changes in the current Apple retail store model.
Ya, they've spent a decade building the most profitable retail stores in the world. It aint broke This guy wasn't hired to make changes to the apple retail experience. He was hired to open stores, like you said. The Apple store is kinda symbolic of Apple's OS's: simple, tasteful, understandable, inviting, user friendly. The Apple store is the public face of the company, I think if any large and ill changes come the blame should be on Tim Cook. Their stores are too integral to who they are as a company. And again, the new guy will be spending so much of his time filling his passport with stamps he won't have time to make fundamental changes to the retail experience.
http://daringfireball.net/
Apologies if anyone else linked to this, I haven't read the whole thread.
If you want to go directly to the Reuters story and miss Gruber's priceless comments (he agrees with me):
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/...20131?irpc=932
I'd imagine Browett will be executing an already well-thought out retail plan with Apple and not making large sea changes for some time, if ever. Johnson was strong in general retail knowledge and execution skills, perhaps those are Browett's strengths as well, but with a more European foundation.
It seems odd that the company with the best customer service record around hires someone who's in charge of a company with one of the worst customer service records around.
He's been at Dixon only four years, so older problems are not his doing. From the New York Times:
"One of the first things Mr. Browett did when he took over Dixons in 2007 was to scrap sales commissions and base staff bonuses on customer satisfaction. Now, employees can earn a bonus even if they miss sales targets as long as their store excels in customer satisfaction."
www.nytimes.com/2012/02/01/technology/apple-picks-dixons-chief-for-global-sales-push.html?_r=1&partner=yahoofinance
www.nytimes.com/2012/02/01/technology/apple-picks-dixons-chief-for-global-sales-push.html?_r=1&partner=yahoofinance
I agree with Flaneur; your link is a must read to understand what Apple sees in this guy.