Apple needs to reopen their stores before introducing new products -- particularly something as personally customizable as their Apple Watch.
My own store is, I would say, about 1/3 open. Most of the staff are stationed outside of the store and blocking entrance to the store. If you want to buy something, they run into the store and bring it out to you. If you need a repair they tell you to come back in a week. And, the they say that "browsing" is not permitted. There were people in the store, but it is unclear what the password is in order to gain entrance.
My friend would like to look at new watches to see if she can find one that she finds attractive (she's currently using her son's old black aluminum one). But, how is she to do that if she isn't allowed into the store? I very much respect Apple's concern to keep people safe from the pandemic, but this seems to be going a little too far. Other places in the area (schools, restaurants, gyms, etc.) are opening up, but the Apple Store is still mostly closed.
For myself, black aluminum with the standard band is just fine. And, if I upgrade from my series 4 I'll do so based on the tech specs of the series 6 -- so I can stand outside of the store and have them bring one out to me. But that's not how most people shop. And, its not how I prefer to shop either -- like I'm buying a watch from street walk shyster selling them from his suit case.
I'm sure that Apple is as frustrated as everyone else is with the current situation. They're trying to make lemonade and are barely getting by as a viable retail establishment. Apple Stores have always been about "crowd buzz" and "high energy" - a pseudo party atmosphere which make sense when you have such a small variety of products in a retail environment where shoppers are used to warehouses-of-plenty of everything you can possibly imagine. The current Apple Store experience in my area is just like yours, very sterile and about as exciting as buying anti-itch cream at the pharmacy of your local drugstore.
Nothing these days is close to the normal that we were living 6 months ago. I believe that things will get better within the next 12 months, but only if we all deal with the reality of the current situation and quit acting like we can't handle the truth. Trying to impose individual or group denial against the reality of the situation is futile at this point. We've identified the problem, now we need to work on the solution, whether it's uncomfortable or not. Problems don't care about our feelings.
Apple needs to reopen their stores before introducing new products -- particularly something as personally customizable as their Apple Watch.
My own store is, I would say, about 1/3 open. Most of the staff are stationed outside of the store and blocking entrance to the store. If you want to buy something, they run into the store and bring it out to you. If you need a repair they tell you to come back in a week. And, the they say that "browsing" is not permitted. There were people in the store, but it is unclear what the password is in order to gain entrance.
My friend would like to look at new watches to see if she can find one that she finds attractive (she's currently using her son's old black aluminum one). But, how is she to do that if she isn't allowed into the store? I very much respect Apple's concern to keep people safe from the pandemic, but this seems to be going a little too far. Other places in the area (schools, restaurants, gyms, etc.) are opening up, but the Apple Store is still mostly closed.
For myself, black aluminum with the standard band is just fine. And, if I upgrade from my series 4 I'll do so based on the tech specs of the series 6 -- so I can stand outside of the store and have them bring one out to me. But that's not how most people shop. And, its not how I prefer to shop either -- like I'm buying a watch from street walk shyster selling them from his suit case.
I'm sure that Apple is as frustrated as everyone else is with the current situation. They're trying to make lemonade and are barely getting by as a viable retail establishment. Apple Stores have always been about "crowd buzz" and "high energy" - a pseudo party atmosphere which make sense when you have such a small variety of products in a retail environment where shoppers are used to warehouses-of-plenty of everything you can possibly imagine. The current Apple Store experience in my area is just like yours, very sterile and about as exciting as buying anti-itch cream at the pharmacy of your local drugstore.
Nothing these days is close to the normal that we were living 6 months ago. I believe that things will get better within the next 12 months, but only if we all deal with the reality of the current situation and quit acting like we can't handle the truth. Trying to impose individual or group denial against the reality of the situation is futile at this point. We've identified the problem, now we need to work on the solution, whether it's uncomfortable or not. Problems don't care about our feelings.
Businesses would need to be given legal protection from lawsuits should any accidental harm be done to customers due to COVID for them to be able to realistically open their doors to everyone again. Or a miracle treatment or vaccine would have to be available and nearly 100% effective for their intended users.
When you go to the trouble of insisting that products will be unveiled on a specific day and they aren’t, that doesn’t make you “half right” that a press release came out ... it makes you completely wrong, Mr . Prosser.
Apple needs to reopen their stores before introducing new products -- particularly something as personally customizable as their Apple Watch.
Why? I’d venture the majority of Apple products are sold outside of an Apple Store. Around here, Target, Best Buy, Walmart, Sams Club and Costco all sell Apple products, not to mention all the cell phone stores, and many people, especially returning customers are quite happy to order online.
Yeh, you're right.... Apple may as well just close all of its stores. We can all just go to Walmart.... There's no difference..... Parts is parts and a store's a store. /s
true to form you still can't make an argument...
Because I blew your ridiculous argument out of the water makes mine invalid? What planet do you live on?
The fact remains that, if all Apple Stores are functioning as poorly as my local one is, they will not be able to service a major product rollout at the level Apple has set. And, sorry, but.... sending those customers to Walmarts is a pretty dumb idea.
Apple needs to reopen their stores before introducing new products -- particularly something as personally customizable as their Apple Watch.
Why? I’d venture the majority of Apple products are sold outside of an Apple Store. Around here, Target, Best Buy, Walmart, Sams Club and Costco all sell Apple products, not to mention all the cell phone stores, and many people, especially returning customers are quite happy to order online.
Yeh, you're right.... Apple may as well just close all of its stores. We can all just go to Walmart.... There's no difference..... Parts is parts and a store's a store. /s
true to form you still can't make an argument...
Because I blew your ridiculous argument out of the water makes mine invalid? What planet do you live on?
The fact remains that, if all Apple Stores are functioning as poorly as my local one is, they will not be able to service a major product rollout at the level Apple has set. And, sorry, but.... sending those customers to Walmarts is a pretty dumb idea.
When did Apple send people to Walmart? What? They didn’t and that’s just you using hyperbole rather than making a cogent argument? Shocker!
But yeah, you are totally working with more data than Apple and absolutely understand their customer’s buying habits .... I mean, they actually run the company successfully but you are published in the prestigious Apple Insider comments section. Apple can only hope to join you in the major league someday.
Apple needs to reopen their stores before introducing new products -- particularly something as personally customizable as their Apple Watch.
Why? I’d venture the majority of Apple products are sold outside of an Apple Store. Around here, Target, Best Buy, Walmart, Sams Club and Costco all sell Apple products, not to mention all the cell phone stores, and many people, especially returning customers are quite happy to order online.
Yeh, you're right.... Apple may as well just close all of its stores. We can all just go to Walmart.... There's no difference..... Parts is parts and a store's a store. /s
true to form you still can't make an argument...
Because I blew your ridiculous argument out of the water makes mine invalid? What planet do you live on?
The fact remains that, if all Apple Stores are functioning as poorly as my local one is, they will not be able to service a major product rollout at the level Apple has set. And, sorry, but.... sending those customers to Walmarts is a pretty dumb idea.
When did Apple send people to Walmart? What? They didn’t and that’s just you using hyperbole rather than making a cogent argument? Shocker!
But yeah, you are totally working with more data than Apple and absolutely understand their customer’s buying habits .... I mean, they actually run the company successfully but you are published in the prestigious Apple Insider comments section. Apple can only hope to join you in the major league someday.
Apple didn't send anybody to Walmart -- the person I was responding to thought it was a good idea instead going to an Apple Store.
As for understanding customer buying habits: it doesn't take a genius to know that Apple customers prefer shopping in an Apple Store rather than a Walmart. Why is that a hard concept for you to grasp?
Comments
Nothing these days is close to the normal that we were living 6 months ago. I believe that things will get better within the next 12 months, but only if we all deal with the reality of the current situation and quit acting like we can't handle the truth. Trying to impose individual or group denial against the reality of the situation is futile at this point. We've identified the problem, now we need to work on the solution, whether it's uncomfortable or not. Problems don't care about our feelings.
Man up and admit it.
Still, you were only a week off. ...LOL
And, sorry, but.... sending those customers to Walmarts is a pretty dumb idea.