Why do you Attack someone who doesn't deserve it. Is it her fault supply is constrained? Her fault demand was overwhelming? She made a executive decision to change the initial method of sales when she received the appropriate information. A failure would let it stay on course and allow it to turn into a cluster.
Haha. Like you know what Apple good is. Like you have any information on why the decision was made.
I can narrow it down to supply of all the new tech has come up with and supplier not being able to provide ?'s assembly lines with the necessary components to get the watches ready. I am sure she will be tougher with suppliers from now on. I wouldn't want to be them. ????
Wow, I cannot believe how ridiculous some commenters are - she's just telling them to be prepared for blockbuster products even though there are supply issues and urge them to learn more about Apple Watch from bottom to top.
Was she hired to spearhead this big launch and royally screwed it up, resulting in the first botched Apple retail launch (the first one ever with zero inventory), and this is the executive team's way of making her face her failure in public?
I rarely chime in with this camp, but "if Steve were here"....she wouldn't be.
Wow, I cannot believe how ridiculous some commenters are - she's just telling them to be prepared for blockbuster products even though there are supply issues and urge them to learn more about Apple Watch from bottom to top.
What's so wrong about that?
You're missing the context, where the ? Watch launch is arguably a retail failure, and possibly the first major project she was tasked with overseeing, and failed miserably.
The only thing that I have a problem with is when naysayers proclaim Steve Jobs would agree with their naysaying. Whether sincere or not, it's a very, very, very common tactic in the forums, and I will always view it with suspicion. If you're going to invoke the name Steve Jobs to back you up, I'm going to need to see citations.
I normally agree wholeheartedly with this...
But I have a hard believing that Steve Jobs would have allowed such a major new category launch to be handled so poorly. I could be wrong, I just don't believe that.
I'm also pretty certain that they sought to buy out Ahrendts and get her on board and up to speed in time to have her handle this Watch launch...only to have her botch it completely (first launch of its kind from modern-Apple with zero retail inventory).
Angela is doing a fine job. I think she is being paid too little for handling this situation. If this is how she starts I am very excited for how she works going forward. She's brilliant amazing woman. The video proves she's the type of person that I would go to the ends of the earth to please.
Two weeks ago no one was here for the watch and couldn't justify the cost. Now that its a hit and is in short supply people are blaming Angela for a successful Apple Watch launch that is successful far beyond even the wildest expectations.
People life waits on no one. I like many others knew I wanted an Apple Watch from jump. I didn't need to see it in person. I shouldn't have to wait for you to finally decide you want one in order for me to purchase. Since people are bringing up Steve Jobs, he would've probably told everyone to go get a life....
But I have a hard believing that Steve Jobs would have allowed such a major new category launch to be handled so poorly. I could be wrong, I just don't believe that.
I'm also pretty certain that they sought to buy out Ahrendts and get her on board and up to speed in time to have her handle this Watch launch...only to have her botch it completely (first launch of its kind from modern-Apple with zero retail inventory).
How can the launch be botched by her if she is working with zero inventory? You sound crazy.
Why is there zero inventory? Because the Chinese can't make them fast enough? Or because management completely dropped the ball?
Why is that Angela's fault? She just started in September. The MacBook has likely been in development for quite some time now. You can't blame her because there is greater demand than anyone in their right mind could possibly anticipate. Apple usually only sells 4-5 million in Macs combined in total over a 3 month period let alone 50k in the first weekend. Apple has sold out of retina MacBook Pros and the 5k iMac previously and no one said a word about it. Now that a woman is in charge of retail all of the sudden they lay supply shortages at her door step....which is something they never would've done when a man was running the retail operation.
Why is that Angela's fault? She just started in September. The MacBook has likely been in development for quite some time now. You can't blame her because there is greater demand than anyone in their right mind could possibly anticipate. Apple usually only sells 4-5 million in Macs in total over a single quarter let alone 50k in the first weekend.
Why are you excusing the Retail Executive (who no doubt was hired specifically because of the important upcoming category launch) for the Retail failures?
Why are you excusing the Retail Executive (who no doubt was hired specifically because of the important upcoming category launch) for the Retail failures?
It is a supply chain issue not a retail issue. I know it's cute to think of her as still the CEO of BB but she's not. She is just one of the higher ups at Apple. And selling so many macs in such a short time is unheard of in the history of Apple. So all of the objective data says that Apple couldn't have predicted the amount of people wanting under powered MacBooks even with their most ambitious expectations. Head of the retail operation is not responsible for demand/supply issues. That's is where Tim Cooks expertise lies. However, the MacBooks selling they way they have so far is unprecedented....and may not happen again as there is no reason to buy a new computer every year. There is nothing Apple can do about that.
It is a supply chain issue not a retail issue. I know it's cute to think of her as still the CEO of BB but she's not. She is just one of the higher ups at Apple. And selling so many macs in such a short time is unheard of in the history of Apple. So all of the objective data says that Apple couldn't have predicted the amount of people wanting under powered MacBooks even with their most ambitious expectations. Head of the retail operation is not responsible for demand/supply issues. That's is where Tim Cooks expertise lies. However, the MacBooks selling they way they have so far is unprecedented....and may not happen again as there is no reason to buy a new computer every year. There is nothing Apple can do about that.
Yeah...sounds like you have no idea how management works.
"It is a supply chain issue"...do you really believe Apple executives sit around and say, "Aww damn we're not gonna have retail inventory because China is slow lately, what a shame."???
Was she hired to spearhead this big launch and royally screwed it up, resulting in the first botched Apple retail launch (the first one ever with zero inventory), and this is the executive team's way of making her face her failure in public?
I rarely chime in with this camp, but "if Steve were here"....she wouldn't be.
So who did Steve fire when the white iPhone was months late?
Yeah...sounds like you have no idea how management works.
"It is a supply chain issue"...do you really believe Apple executives sit around and say, "Aww damn we're not gonna have retail inventory because China is slow lately, what a shame."???
This is not how things work in the real world.
You have no idea how mgmt works.
It didn't have enough inventory so it switched gears. No big issue. The worse thing to do was stay on course and have people lineup for no reason when supplies are limited.
Yeah...sounds like you have no idea how management works.
"It is a supply chain issue"...do you really believe Apple executives sit around and say, "Aww damn we're not gonna have retail inventory because China is slow lately, what a shame."???
This is not how things work in the real world.
Ok would you have rather them pushed the release back altogether or give people who were already going to purchase it site unseen the opportunity to? Why not sell people the promise? It's not like Apple won't deliver on the MacBook since it's already in some stores for show.
I'm speculating some combination of the following as to the reasons leading to this type of launch:
• Component constraints led Apple to believe they would not have nearly enough watches for retail inventory, so a controlled online ordering process was the best alternative.
• Being a brand new product category with several dozen build out combinations, Apple wanted to be cautious and better match manufacturing to orders
• Apple recognized the sheer number of choices, especially at the beginning, would create a massive backlog in stores of a deluge of people spending quite a bit of time trying on different combinations. This would be impossible to manage
• Perhaps they felt the feeding frenzy mentality that accompanies iPhone sales was not part of the image they wanted conveyed
• This is part of a larger test to turn the stores demo centers, with more and more ordering done online, as a way to cap investment in physical space and product distribution and maintain high level of customer experience in stores that, despite increasing in size in most cases, continue to be packed with people.
• Better control of product launch hoarders
So many good reasons for handling the launch the way they did.
Ok would you have rather them pushed the release back altogether or give people who were already going to purchase it site unseen the opportunity to? Why not sell people the promise? It's not like Apple won't deliver on the MacBook since it's already in some stores for show.
Exactly. Here's the thing ... other than eliminate lines outside the Apple Stores, the pre-orders were no different than any other Apple launch -- it was the same lottery system essentially. But here's the difference, Apple has stated they are intentionally trying to make this experience different than other product launches, stating the product requires a more personal touch, and rightfully so -- people are going to wear this product, they need to see it on themselves before they make a choice. So shouldn't Apple have tried to cater to that perception that this is not just a mass produced commodity electronic gadget requiring no forethought, but rather a personal experience and emersion for the customer?
The bottom line is this ... come April 24th, outside of a few select boutiques, there will be no ?Watches for purchase in brick and mortar stores. So what difference does it make if the launch was on the 24th, or a week later, other than it gave Apple two weeks to gear up production on expected future demand, and assemble the various watch/band combinations ordered. So why not add an extra week to the rollout, give Apple an extra week to produce more of the anticipated base models and accommodate that many more people during the pre-orders while demonstrating that the watch truly is a different experience. As it stands, come the 24th, people are still going to have to pre-order a watch, so what's the difference?Apple could have still started shipping watches by the 24th assuming some base configurations were already assembled and ready to go. Who cares if they delivered a million watches on the 24th, or 500,000? They won't be in available any other way regardless.
Much as I find some of Ahrendts ideas to be unhelpful, eg removal of name badges for retail employees, I don't thik you can blame her for a lack of availability at launch. Tim Cook chose the launch date, and production failed to meet it. That's Cook's fault, not Ahrendt's.
Under Steve, deadlines really were that; they were never missed, but under nice Tim we've had quite a few 'soft' deadlines of one sort or another. This Watch debacle is the result.
Comments
I can narrow it down to supply of all the new tech has come up with and supplier not being able to provide ?'s assembly lines with the necessary components to get the watches ready. I am sure she will be tougher with suppliers from now on. I wouldn't want to be them. ????
Dumbest thing I've heard come out of an Apple Executive's mouth ever.
Bring back Ron Johnson.
What's so wrong about that?
Who on earth allowed her to publish that video?
Was she hired to spearhead this big launch and royally screwed it up, resulting in the first botched Apple retail launch (the first one ever with zero inventory), and this is the executive team's way of making her face her failure in public?
I rarely chime in with this camp, but "if Steve were here"....she wouldn't be.
Wow, I cannot believe how ridiculous some commenters are - she's just telling them to be prepared for blockbuster products even though there are supply issues and urge them to learn more about Apple Watch from bottom to top.
What's so wrong about that?
You're missing the context, where the ? Watch launch is arguably a retail failure, and possibly the first major project she was tasked with overseeing, and failed miserably.
The only thing that I have a problem with is when naysayers proclaim Steve Jobs would agree with their naysaying. Whether sincere or not, it's a very, very, very common tactic in the forums, and I will always view it with suspicion. If you're going to invoke the name Steve Jobs to back you up, I'm going to need to see citations.
I normally agree wholeheartedly with this...
But I have a hard believing that Steve Jobs would have allowed such a major new category launch to be handled so poorly. I could be wrong, I just don't believe that.
I'm also pretty certain that they sought to buy out Ahrendts and get her on board and up to speed in time to have her handle this Watch launch...only to have her botch it completely (first launch of its kind from modern-Apple with zero retail inventory).
Angela is doing a fine job. I think she is being paid too little for handling this situation. If this is how she starts I am very excited for how she works going forward. She's brilliant amazing woman. The video proves she's the type of person that I would go to the ends of the earth to please.
Two weeks ago no one was here for the watch and couldn't justify the cost. Now that its a hit and is in short supply people are blaming Angela for a successful Apple Watch launch that is successful far beyond even the wildest expectations.
People life waits on no one. I like many others knew I wanted an Apple Watch from jump. I didn't need to see it in person. I shouldn't have to wait for you to finally decide you want one in order for me to purchase. Since people are bringing up Steve Jobs, he would've probably told everyone to go get a life....
I normally agree wholeheartedly with this...
But I have a hard believing that Steve Jobs would have allowed such a major new category launch to be handled so poorly. I could be wrong, I just don't believe that.
I'm also pretty certain that they sought to buy out Ahrendts and get her on board and up to speed in time to have her handle this Watch launch...only to have her botch it completely (first launch of its kind from modern-Apple with zero retail inventory).
How can the launch be botched by her if she is working with zero inventory? You sound crazy.
How can the launch be botched by her if she is working with zero inventory? You sound crazy.
Why is there zero inventory? Because the Chinese can't make them fast enough? Or because management completely dropped the ball?
Why is there zero inventory? Because the Chinese can't make them fast enough? Or because management completely dropped the ball?
Why is that Angela's fault? She just started in September. The MacBook has likely been in development for quite some time now. You can't blame her because there is greater demand than anyone in their right mind could possibly anticipate. Apple usually only sells 4-5 million in Macs combined in total over a 3 month period let alone 50k in the first weekend. Apple has sold out of retina MacBook Pros and the 5k iMac previously and no one said a word about it. Now that a woman is in charge of retail all of the sudden they lay supply shortages at her door step....which is something they never would've done when a man was running the retail operation.
Why is that Angela's fault? She just started in September. The MacBook has likely been in development for quite some time now. You can't blame her because there is greater demand than anyone in their right mind could possibly anticipate. Apple usually only sells 4-5 million in Macs in total over a single quarter let alone 50k in the first weekend.
Why are you excusing the Retail Executive (who no doubt was hired specifically because of the important upcoming category launch) for the Retail failures?
Why are you excusing the Retail Executive (who no doubt was hired specifically because of the important upcoming category launch) for the Retail failures?
It is a supply chain issue not a retail issue. I know it's cute to think of her as still the CEO of BB but she's not. She is just one of the higher ups at Apple. And selling so many macs in such a short time is unheard of in the history of Apple. So all of the objective data says that Apple couldn't have predicted the amount of people wanting under powered MacBooks even with their most ambitious expectations. Head of the retail operation is not responsible for demand/supply issues. That's is where Tim Cooks expertise lies. However, the MacBooks selling they way they have so far is unprecedented....and may not happen again as there is no reason to buy a new computer every year. There is nothing Apple can do about that.
It is a supply chain issue not a retail issue. I know it's cute to think of her as still the CEO of BB but she's not. She is just one of the higher ups at Apple. And selling so many macs in such a short time is unheard of in the history of Apple. So all of the objective data says that Apple couldn't have predicted the amount of people wanting under powered MacBooks even with their most ambitious expectations. Head of the retail operation is not responsible for demand/supply issues. That's is where Tim Cooks expertise lies. However, the MacBooks selling they way they have so far is unprecedented....and may not happen again as there is no reason to buy a new computer every year. There is nothing Apple can do about that.
Yeah...sounds like you have no idea how management works.
"It is a supply chain issue"...do you really believe Apple executives sit around and say, "Aww damn we're not gonna have retail inventory because China is slow lately, what a shame."???
This is not how things work in the real world.
So who did Steve fire when the white iPhone was months late?
You have no idea how mgmt works.
It didn't have enough inventory so it switched gears. No big issue. The worse thing to do was stay on course and have people lineup for no reason when supplies are limited.
Yeah...sounds like you have no idea how management works.
"It is a supply chain issue"...do you really believe Apple executives sit around and say, "Aww damn we're not gonna have retail inventory because China is slow lately, what a shame."???
This is not how things work in the real world.
Ok would you have rather them pushed the release back altogether or give people who were already going to purchase it site unseen the opportunity to? Why not sell people the promise? It's not like Apple won't deliver on the MacBook since it's already in some stores for show.
Bring back Ron Johnson.
Let's not. More importantly it's not what he wants to do.
I'm speculating some combination of the following as to the reasons leading to this type of launch:
• Component constraints led Apple to believe they would not have nearly enough watches for retail inventory, so a controlled online ordering process was the best alternative.
• Being a brand new product category with several dozen build out combinations, Apple wanted to be cautious and better match manufacturing to orders
• Apple recognized the sheer number of choices, especially at the beginning, would create a massive backlog in stores of a deluge of people spending quite a bit of time trying on different combinations. This would be impossible to manage
• Perhaps they felt the feeding frenzy mentality that accompanies iPhone sales was not part of the image they wanted conveyed
• This is part of a larger test to turn the stores demo centers, with more and more ordering done online, as a way to cap investment in physical space and product distribution and maintain high level of customer experience in stores that, despite increasing in size in most cases, continue to be packed with people.
• Better control of product launch hoarders
So many good reasons for handling the launch the way they did.
Ok would you have rather them pushed the release back altogether or give people who were already going to purchase it site unseen the opportunity to? Why not sell people the promise? It's not like Apple won't deliver on the MacBook since it's already in some stores for show.
Exactly. Here's the thing ... other than eliminate lines outside the Apple Stores, the pre-orders were no different than any other Apple launch -- it was the same lottery system essentially. But here's the difference, Apple has stated they are intentionally trying to make this experience different than other product launches, stating the product requires a more personal touch, and rightfully so -- people are going to wear this product, they need to see it on themselves before they make a choice. So shouldn't Apple have tried to cater to that perception that this is not just a mass produced commodity electronic gadget requiring no forethought, but rather a personal experience and emersion for the customer?
The bottom line is this ... come April 24th, outside of a few select boutiques, there will be no ?Watches for purchase in brick and mortar stores. So what difference does it make if the launch was on the 24th, or a week later, other than it gave Apple two weeks to gear up production on expected future demand, and assemble the various watch/band combinations ordered. So why not add an extra week to the rollout, give Apple an extra week to produce more of the anticipated base models and accommodate that many more people during the pre-orders while demonstrating that the watch truly is a different experience. As it stands, come the 24th, people are still going to have to pre-order a watch, so what's the difference?Apple could have still started shipping watches by the 24th assuming some base configurations were already assembled and ready to go. Who cares if they delivered a million watches on the 24th, or 500,000? They won't be in available any other way regardless.
Under Steve, deadlines really were that; they were never missed, but under nice Tim we've had quite a few 'soft' deadlines of one sort or another. This Watch debacle is the result.