Apple's retail point-of-sale system suffers nationwide outage
Customers at Apple retail stores across the country have been unable to make purchases or pick up items ordered online through Apple's Personal Pickup program thanks to an apparent glitch in the company's point-of-sale systems that occurred on Thursday.
Apple's SoHo store in New York City
AppleInsider received several reports from readers on Thursday who revealed that the internal systems which run Apple's retail stores throughout the U.S. were down for at least two hours, with at least one report that the outage may extend internationally. Both in-store purchases and pickups for online purchases are affected.
The outage could put a not-insignificant dent in Apple's revenues. The company reported an average of $50 million in revenues per store for the fiscal fourth quarter of 2013, or just under $50,000 per hour, assuming an average operating time of 12 hours per day. With 253 stores in the United States, that means the glitch may have already cost Apple as much as $25 million.
This is a particularly busy time for Apple's retail stores, with the iPhone 5s and 5c, iPad Air, and new Retina display-equipped iPad mini all having been released within the last two months and the busy holiday season ramping up.
Apple's SoHo store in New York City
AppleInsider received several reports from readers on Thursday who revealed that the internal systems which run Apple's retail stores throughout the U.S. were down for at least two hours, with at least one report that the outage may extend internationally. Both in-store purchases and pickups for online purchases are affected.
The outage could put a not-insignificant dent in Apple's revenues. The company reported an average of $50 million in revenues per store for the fiscal fourth quarter of 2013, or just under $50,000 per hour, assuming an average operating time of 12 hours per day. With 253 stores in the United States, that means the glitch may have already cost Apple as much as $25 million.
This is a particularly busy time for Apple's retail stores, with the iPhone 5s and 5c, iPad Air, and new Retina display-equipped iPad mini all having been released within the last two months and the busy holiday season ramping up.
Comments
Well, I always like these gross estimates. Do we really believe that a customer won't eventually buy what he/she came to buy? Sure, some are spur of the moment, but if you want a new iMac, will you really just go across the street and buy a Windows PC because the cash register was broken? Geez.
Why not just write, "the outage could put a significant dent in Apple's revenues?"
To which the answer is, no, no it couldn't. People will come back later to pick up their stuff.
That is a way of emphasizing a point. It is quite often said that way ... 'That is a significant amount of money' doesn't quite carry the oomph of ... 'That is not an insignificant amount of money'. There is an underlying feeling of astonishment, if you will, in the former usage that is lacking in the latter.
You might say ... 'Wow, that is not inconsequential at all!" It has way more impact phrased that way than ... "Wow that is consequential!"
How about ... "That's not Ilegal!" As opposed to "That's legal".
Double negatives at their best!
This is a non issue, and no, I don't agree that it will put any dent in revenues.
People who come to buy Apple products won't settle for anything less. Most purchases are not spur of the moment.
I'm sure that this will be fixed shortly.
This is a non issue, and no, I don't agree that it will put any dent in revenues.
People who come to buy Apple products won't settle for anything less. Most purchases are not spur of the moment.
I'm sure that this will be fixed shortly, it's not like the dunces and other incompetent baboons who are behind the govt healthcare site work for Apple.
Yeah. I can't believe that the government spent 600 million on a website. Ridiculous. Why didn't they ask Oracle to set it up, Microsoft or Google. To hire a bunch of independent private subcontractors is just pure idiocy. How did that ever get approved? Was there no qualified oversight from real ecommerce experts? And now why don't they just buy a copy of California's insurance website which works great. They could have it running in a couple days.
This is a non issue, and no, I don't agree that it will put any dent in revenues.
People who come to buy Apple products won't settle for anything less. Most purchases are not spur of the moment.
Gloom and doom sells in the news business. A positive attitude is for losers.
If Steve were here this wouldn't have happened...
That is a way of emphasizing a point. It is quite often said that way ... Double negatives at their best!
It's called "litotes". Intentional use of a double negative to add emphasis. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Litotes
If Steve were here this wouldn't have happened...
And now Apple is doomed...
I'm sure that this will be fixed shortly
What an amazingly accurate prediction!
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And yes, I am replying to myself.
And now Apple is doomed...
Yup...might as well shut the company down now according to some people. Just like with any other hiccup Apple has. I'm sure the Tim Cook needs to be fired people are going off right now.
No biggie
What's even more impressive is that you're talking to yourself in the past.
How cool is that?
Quick, send a warning about something bad that happens to you in the future!
Headline: Apple fails to sell anything within a two hour window. Witnesses say customers left empty handed.
This is why a good old fashion cash Register just works, I remember when Mastercard system went off line and stores could not process CC think about that. When you are loosing money because of technology you need to rethink things.
My first mini. Got a 32g wifi