I've always why there isn't a lounge area in Apple Stores. I would love to go in and telecommute at an Apple Store. Of course, there'd need to be an Apple-designed espresso machine available...
that's a bad idea.. That's going to invite a lot of hobo's who would otherwise loiter around Starbucks or McDonalds.
Jobs is dead. Apple is still succeeding. Get over it.
She is not "generic".
Thanks for the news flash. I agree, they are succeeding. My worry is not for the present (which can be argued is coasting on past products from the Jobs era), but for the future. I want to be wrong, but I don't think it's foolish to express some concern for the long run.
"Generic" in the sense that her expertise is in sales and marketing "generally" (same root word), not in sales of computers (wearable or otherwise) specifically. Again, not an insignificant distinction. She may be the new Ron Johnson, at any rate I hope so. But her past success is in fashion and is not a guarantee of success with Apple's products.
Not a single comment so far has mentioned a fundamental premise: customer or user experience. In a dynamic business like Apple, we expect the merchandise mix to evolve over time. Apple Stores are not simply transactional - otherwise they could be a Walmart, a Target or a Best Buy. Ron Johnson recalled Steve Jobs's concept of Apple Stores back in 1999:
"If Apple is going to succeed, he told me, we’re going to win on innovation. And you can’t win on innovation unless you have a way to communicate to customers.”
Isaacson, Walter (2011-10-24). Steve Jobs (p. 369). Simon & Schuster, Inc.. Kindle Edition.
The next big merchandise innovation will be the ?Watch, and Apple Stores will have to evolve somewhat physically to best communicate the watch's purpose, value and capabilities to customers. New products force changes in managing the customer experience. As long as Apple creates new products with new capabilities, it will be the job of Ahrendts and her colleagues to reexamine continually the effect on user experience and adjust accordingly.
Good Lord nothing has even been implemented yet and people are already predicting the demise of Ahrendts. The same person that some pegged as a possible future Apple CEO. It's not surprising at all that some long timers leave when someone new comes in. What's wrong with getting new blood and fresh thinking now and then?
What if they hired Elop or Ballmer. We're criticising the actual person, her actual actions and her actual cost.
I'm not sure that adding seats or changing the color of a shirt is worth 70M.
Why would you want seating. Part of the Apple Store experience is the energy, and browsing the different areas and products even while waiting for the Genius Bar. Not sitting around on your butt. We do enough of that already.
Gotta agree here. We don't want the Apple store turning into a new version of Barnes and noble. The idea is for people to come in, browse avg hopefully purchase. Not seeing the benefit to having purple sitting around surfing the web on the store's WiFi. It just takes away room from the products and keeps non customers in longer making crowded stores more crowded
Agreed.
Gotta keep people on the move. In fact, there should be a jogging-only rule in the stores, so that people don't hold others up, and slow down Apple's profits.
Why would you want seating. Part of the Apple Store experience is the energy, and browsing the different areas and products even while waiting for the Genius Bar. Not sitting around on your butt. We do enough of that already.
I think some additional seating would be beneficial. People can use the iDevices while relaxing instead of standing up and feeling rushed.
Good point.
The iPad was demoed by Steve Jobs sitting on a settee. They should have them in the stores to allow people to try them in the optimum position.
I was a skeptic too but changing the colour of the shirts and putting in new seats, well that just blew me away.
If the Apple Watch is going to be successful, it will have to appeal to fashion-conscious women, as well as men buying for their fashion-conscious spouses and girlfriends. A different approach is needed from what worked to sell iPhones, Macs, and iPads. Those product lines (particularly the iPhone) mostly sell themselves now, so I think Apple will be more experimental. What the store looks like and its atmosphere affect sales of fashion items.
This.
Also, jewellery stores rarely have any children in them, high-end ones at least, which adds to their allure. Apple Stores obviously do, so it will be hard to reconcile two opposing environments. Frankly, you need a store within a store for the Apple Watch, perhaps partitioned off by glass from the rest of the store. It needs to be much quieter and exclusive feeling.
I think there may be misunderstanding here. When they say that there will be seating they probably mean seating as in next to a watch display case counter. They probably will have a special counter to display the watches, especially the expensive lines. Since its a big ticket item, it makes sense to serve potential clients like the way you typically do at fancy watch stores. Have clients sit and take their time while you show them all the goods.
Comments
Not if you make the coffee expensive enough.
Jobs is dead. Apple is still succeeding. Get over it.
She is not "generic".
Thanks for the news flash. I agree, they are succeeding. My worry is not for the present (which can be argued is coasting on past products from the Jobs era), but for the future. I want to be wrong, but I don't think it's foolish to express some concern for the long run.
"Generic" in the sense that her expertise is in sales and marketing "generally" (same root word), not in sales of computers (wearable or otherwise) specifically. Again, not an insignificant distinction. She may be the new Ron Johnson, at any rate I hope so. But her past success is in fashion and is not a guarantee of success with Apple's products.
Not a single comment so far has mentioned a fundamental premise: customer or user experience. In a dynamic business like Apple, we expect the merchandise mix to evolve over time. Apple Stores are not simply transactional - otherwise they could be a Walmart, a Target or a Best Buy. Ron Johnson recalled Steve Jobs's concept of Apple Stores back in 1999:
"If Apple is going to succeed, he told me, we’re going to win on innovation. And you can’t win on innovation unless you have a way to communicate to customers.”
Isaacson, Walter (2011-10-24). Steve Jobs (p. 369). Simon & Schuster, Inc.. Kindle Edition.
The next big merchandise innovation will be the ?Watch, and Apple Stores will have to evolve somewhat physically to best communicate the watch's purpose, value and capabilities to customers. New products force changes in managing the customer experience. As long as Apple creates new products with new capabilities, it will be the job of Ahrendts and her colleagues to reexamine continually the effect on user experience and adjust accordingly.
What if they hired Elop or Ballmer. We're criticising the actual person, her actual actions and her actual cost.
I'm not sure that adding seats or changing the color of a shirt is worth 70M.
You have no basis for criticizing her alleged actions. She was a successful CEO of Burberry. Ballmer failed and MS. Elop failed at Nokia.
Why would you want seating. Part of the Apple Store experience is the energy, and browsing the different areas and products even while waiting for the Genius Bar. Not sitting around on your butt. We do enough of that already.
Gotta agree here. We don't want the Apple store turning into a new version of Barnes and noble. The idea is for people to come in, browse avg hopefully purchase. Not seeing the benefit to having purple sitting around surfing the web on the store's WiFi. It just takes away room from the products and keeps non customers in longer making crowded stores more crowded
Agreed.
Gotta keep people on the move. In fact, there should be a jogging-only rule in the stores, so that people don't hold others up, and slow down Apple's profits.
Why would you want seating. Part of the Apple Store experience is the energy, and browsing the different areas and products even while waiting for the Genius Bar. Not sitting around on your butt. We do enough of that already.
I think some additional seating would be beneficial. People can use the iDevices while relaxing instead of standing up and feeling rushed.
Good point.
The iPad was demoed by Steve Jobs sitting on a settee. They should have them in the stores to allow people to try them in the optimum position.
Will losing Bridger over Ahrendts be worth it?
Quote:
I was a skeptic too but changing the colour of the shirts and putting in new seats, well that just blew me away.
If the Apple Watch is going to be successful, it will have to appeal to fashion-conscious women, as well as men buying for their fashion-conscious spouses and girlfriends. A different approach is needed from what worked to sell iPhones, Macs, and iPads. Those product lines (particularly the iPhone) mostly sell themselves now, so I think Apple will be more experimental. What the store looks like and its atmosphere affect sales of fashion items.
This.
Also, jewellery stores rarely have any children in them, high-end ones at least, which adds to their allure. Apple Stores obviously do, so it will be hard to reconcile two opposing environments. Frankly, you need a store within a store for the Apple Watch, perhaps partitioned off by glass from the rest of the store. It needs to be much quieter and exclusive feeling.
OOohh...I know, I know! Two words: Drive. Through.
A drive-through Apple Store? Okay; perhaps combine it with McDonalds.
"Would you like a Mac with your Mac?"