Select boutique outlets to have Apple Watch stock for sale on April 24
While Apple has repeatedly intimated that Apple Watch is, for now, an online exclusive not available in brick-and-mortar stores, it appears certain "boutique" outlets will indeed have a small supply on hand for sale on April 24.
According to The New York Times, Apple has allotted Apple Watch stock to fashion-forward stores Colette in Paris, Dover Street Market in London and Tokyo, Maxfield in Los Angeles, the Corner in Berlin and 10 Corso Como in Milan.
Maxfield, for example, has been advertising in-store Apple Watch on its website.
Adrian Joffe, CEO of Dover Street Market, said his stores would have Apple Watches for sale on launch day, with the Ginza store taking receipt of about 350 units, while the London branch will have 570 units. Supply is split up among Apple Watch and Apple Watch Sport models, but an exact ratio was not mentioned. Those interested in Apple Watch Edition will have to wait, however, as those models are on backorder.
Today's report clears up a recent statement from Apple regarding initial Apple Watch supply. In a release earlier this month, SVP of Retail Angela Ahrendts said Apple Watch sales would be restricted to the Online Apple Store. Apple also mentioned April 24 availability at the shops above, but was vague on whether units would be available for sale or in-person preorder.
The decision to offer Watch supply to outside retailers, while holding back supply at brick-and-mortar Apple Stores, is a first for the company. Ahrendts told employees that Apple Watch would likely not reach Apple Store sales until June at the earliest.
According to The New York Times, Apple has allotted Apple Watch stock to fashion-forward stores Colette in Paris, Dover Street Market in London and Tokyo, Maxfield in Los Angeles, the Corner in Berlin and 10 Corso Como in Milan.
Maxfield, for example, has been advertising in-store Apple Watch on its website.
Adrian Joffe, CEO of Dover Street Market, said his stores would have Apple Watches for sale on launch day, with the Ginza store taking receipt of about 350 units, while the London branch will have 570 units. Supply is split up among Apple Watch and Apple Watch Sport models, but an exact ratio was not mentioned. Those interested in Apple Watch Edition will have to wait, however, as those models are on backorder.
Today's report clears up a recent statement from Apple regarding initial Apple Watch supply. In a release earlier this month, SVP of Retail Angela Ahrendts said Apple Watch sales would be restricted to the Online Apple Store. Apple also mentioned April 24 availability at the shops above, but was vague on whether units would be available for sale or in-person preorder.
The decision to offer Watch supply to outside retailers, while holding back supply at brick-and-mortar Apple Stores, is a first for the company. Ahrendts told employees that Apple Watch would likely not reach Apple Store sales until June at the earliest.
Comments
I doubt it. Apparently Colette was allocated 1,000 watches and are already sold out.
This is so un-Apple.
People have started to notice, even in the mainstream media: [URL=http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/23/style/whats-that-on-beyonces-wrist-let-me-guess-an-apple-watch.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=second-column-region®ion=top-news&WT.nav=top-news]as the NYT puts it,[/URL] [B]"This is a far cry from 2007, when the first Apple iPhone was released. Back then, Steve Jobs was fielding calls from all sorts of superstars like Shaquille O’Neal who sought the new device. They were all met with a resounding “no.” “Lots of people have requested iPhones,” an Apple spokeswoman told The Los Angeles Times in 2007. “No one is getting any special treatment.”[/B]
[U]Add[/U]: I'd like to hear a defense from all the Apple's celebrity strategy apologists now, please!
I doubt it. Apparently Colette was allocated 1,000 watches and are already sold out.
Who/what is "Colette"? Are they an Apple Store?
So, let's see. A lot of chi-chi stores that most of us, the great unwashed, have never heard of (or will shop at) will have the Watch on the 24th, but not Apple Stores?
This is so un-Apple.
People have started to notice, even in the mainstream media: as the NYT puts it, "This is a far cry from 2007, when the first Apple iPhone was released. Back then, Steve Jobs was fielding calls from all sorts of superstars like Shaquille O’Neal who sought the new device. They were all met with a resounding “no.” “Lots of people have requested iPhones,” an Apple spokeswoman told The Los Angeles Times in 2007. “No one is getting any special treatment.”
Add: I'd like to hear a defense from all the Apple's celebrity strategy apologists now, please!
I think this is not the same comparison. The Watch is more a fashion accessory versus a phone being more of a necessity. I'm okay with this. Doesn't bother me one iota.
I think this is not the same comparison. The Watch is more a fashion accessory versus a phone being more of a necessity. I'm okay with this. Doesn't bother me one iota.
I beg to disagree. Phones used to be just about making voice calls (and much later, clunkily texting with numeric keypads) until the iPhone came along and changed everything. The 'necessity' there was no more than voice calls and much later, SMS. The iPhone did not do much for either.
Similarly watches were, and for the vast majority, are, no more than functional devices to tell time. Maybe a stopwatch, or tell date on top of that. Until something like the AppleWatch has now come along and will probably change everything. A VAST majority of the billions of watches sold every year cost $3 or less, hardly a 'fashion accessory.'
The only reason that Apple is flirting with this highly visible -- and increasingly derided, awkward -- celebrity strategy is because they decided to intro a $10,000+ version. For a massive majority of buyers buying the Sport and the Watch, in the $350 - $700 price range, all this hoity-toity hobnobbing is bemusing at best, a tad unseemly at worst. Nothing wrong with it, except when the $350-$700 models shows up in the hoity-toity stores rather than the Apple Stores, which is where the faithful go.
I have a feeling that this will be the last time that Apple adopts such an elitist marketing strategy.
But what do I know, all the celebrity marketing experts probably know much more on this topic than I do....
(Added a few minor edits to clarify).
Had they alloted these to ???? store each would get 3
So, I'm still waiting until June. Oh well.
You could check some of these shops to see if they have the model you want, buy it and cancel your pre-order?