Some Apple stores reportedly planning store-wide meetings next week

Posted:
in Genius Bar edited January 2014
Apple Retail teams around the U.S. are planning all-hands-on-deck meetings on or around June 24, AppleInsider has been informed.

Multiple people familiar with Apple's plans have indicated that some of the company's retail stores are organizing meetings for next Sunday, though some locations are reportedly considering rescheduling their meetings because of local events set to take place on the same day.

One person revealed that a flagship Apple store in Boston is looking into renting a local theater for their event, which will reportedly take place from 8-11pm Eastern and require space for more than 200 employees. According to this person, the corporate meeting would entail "a presentation utilizing a projector, audio for the presenter and also computer hookup/audio."

Insiders suggested that the likelihood that the meetings would include live video feeds from Apple's Cupertino, Calif., headquarters was low since at least one off-site event did not appear to require an Internet connection and other locations were reportedly planning to hold their meetings at a different times.

While the exact purpose of the meetings remains unclear, it's worth noting that the plans for Apple's meetings next week do not appear to have been made with the same level of secrecy usually reserved for new products and services. And it's still unclear if all of Apple's nearly 250 domestic shops are being required to hold the same type of gatherings.

When asked about possible reasons for an all-hands meeting, pundit Gary Allen of ifoAppleStore noted in an email to AppleInsider that off-site, all-hands meetings are "not common" for Apple retail teams. He did, however, speculate that the meetings might have been called to introduce retail employees to John Browett, Apple's new head of retail.

Apple Retail
An entrance to an Apple Retail Store Briefing Room | Photo: Edna Zhou, The Shanghaiist - China


Browett formerly served as the CEO at European retailer Dixon's and assumed his role at Apple in April. He took over for long-time retail chief Ron Johnson, who left the company last November to become the new CEO at retailer JC Penney.

Apple Retail
An Apple Retail Store Briefing Room | Photo: Edna Zhou, The Shanghaiist - China


Apple Retail held a series of all-hands meetings last May as part of the 10th anniversary of brick-and-mortar Apple Stores. Those meetings introduced the new "Retail 2.0" concept for the iPhone maker's outlets and led to the addition of stationary iPad units as Apple Store displays.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 38
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member


    Will probably be training for iOS update, no?

  • Reply 2 of 38
    zeromeuszeromeus Posts: 182member


    Or for geniuses to help customers update to Mountain Lion and troubleshoot any issues that might occur.

  • Reply 3 of 38
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    Will probably be training for iOS update, no?

    Not this far out. If it's about a specific product I'd think it would be about Mountain Lion which is due out next month, but even that seems suspect since mailing info to stores with talking points and how-tos seems like a more cost effective and efficient way to inform employees.
  • Reply 4 of 38
    drblankdrblank Posts: 3,385member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by zeromeus View Post


    Or for geniuses to help customers update to Mountain Lion and troubleshoot any issues that might occur.



    Geniuses go through special training is my guess.  Typically, the OS is a fairly straight forward upgrade and they typically don't find all of the issues until they come up because it is IMPOSSIBLE to test every scenario before they release a product.  They try to find as much as possible, but again, until they have the OS in the field, they can only deal with the "issues" as they come up and they usually find about them fairly quickly, which is why I wait for about a month until I get comfortable with an update.  This is for ALL of the retail store personnel.  It could be to update everyone on what is going on with the Retail Stores, it could be how to "sell" against a competing products since Android and Windows landscape is VERY confusing to figure out their respective faults, what they do/don't do, etc.  It could include some training on existing products/new products, any number of things.

  • Reply 5 of 38
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by SolipsismX View Post





    Not this far out. If it's about a specific product I'd think it would be about Mountain Lion which is due out next month, but even that seems suspect since mailing info to stores with talking points and how-tos seems like a more cost effective and efficient way to inform employees.


     


    Yes, I got my release dates crossed. My error.

  • Reply 6 of 38


    My thinking is that — 


    (1) Microsoft is having a "Major Announcement" on Monday.


    (2) Apple knows what it is.


    (3) Apple has planned out how to take the air out of Microsoft's tires.


    (4) Apple is passing the message onto the troops a few days later.


    (5) ?????


    (6) Profit.


     


    Chairs will be broken...Monkeys will dance... 

  • Reply 7 of 38
    clonenodeclonenode Posts: 392member


    You are all funny. Apple Retail has these meetings once a quarter; every retail store, every retail employee. There is nothing new or odd about this. They go over recent sales numbers and get everyone revved up for the next quarter (or, in this case, the summer "back-to-school" season).

  • Reply 8 of 38
    spoonsspoons Posts: 1member


    Clonenode - thank you - I was just going to reply the same thing. Routine. Sometimes they coincide with something new or interesting, but not usually.

  • Reply 9 of 38
    Apple Retail stores hold quarterly meetings. This is nothing out of the ordinary. There will be no announcements of new products or insider information, and thus no reason for the normal levels of secrecy. Furthermore those who think that employees somehow have the inside scoop on new products is deeply flawed. Apple employees are given stock options and therefore cannot also be given insider information; the SEC does not favor such things.
  • Reply 10 of 38
    charlitunacharlituna Posts: 7,217member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by clonenode View Post


    You are all funny. Apple Retail has these meetings once a quarter; every retail store, every retail employee. There is nothing new or odd about this. They go over recent sales numbers and get everyone revved up for the next quarter (or, in this case, the summer "back-to-school" season).



     


    True. Although the last couple from what I heard were more "rah rah, we are so awesome" forced attendance parties rather than meetings. 

  • Reply 11 of 38
    charlitunacharlituna Posts: 7,217member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Blackacre View Post


    Apple employees are given stock options and therefore cannot also be given insider information; the SEC does not favor such things.


     


    Executives at Cupe are given options not retail staff. If they get anything is is some kind of stock purchase plan that is allowed to pull money out pretax. 


     


    but yes the bit about the SEC still stands and is still very likely a reason (among many) for why the staff aren't told squat

  • Reply 12 of 38


    sorry to burst your bubbles guys, they have a meeting like this every quarter.



     

  • Reply 13 of 38
    cvaldes1831cvaldes1831 Posts: 1,832member
    sorry to burst your bubbles guys, they have a meeting like this every quarter.


     

    LOL, AI will print anything.

    After all, they quote DigiTimes as gospel. They will requote any random skanky news source.

    So gross.
  • Reply 14 of 38
    kyrrakyrra Posts: 5member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by charlituna View Post


     


    Executives at Cupe are given options not retail staff. If they get anything is is some kind of stock purchase plan that is allowed to pull money out pretax. 


     


    but yes the bit about the SEC still stands and is still very likely a reason (among many) for why the staff aren't told squat





    Company employees that have insider information go through lockout periods as to when they can trade stock (no matter if its stock or options given to them, or personal trading).  Most of the time, an employee with insider information will only be able to trade within a 4-6 week window every quarter.


     


    For executives, they have to file special paperwork with the SEC when doing stock transactions for the company they work for.


     


    Different companies handle insider information in different ways.  Some try to prevent staffers from knowing information that is considered "insider info".  Some companies just say screw it and prevent all employees from trading the stock.  It's all dependent on the company and the employees knowledge of company workings.

  • Reply 15 of 38
    cvaldes1831cvaldes1831 Posts: 1,832member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by charlituna View Post


     


    Executives at Cupe are given options not retail staff.


     


     



    No, senior execs are typically given RSUs, not stock options.


     


    Stock options are typically given to corporate staffers, like engineers (Members of the Technical Staff) and other similarly ranked individuals (e.g., corporate marketing types). 


     


    The Investopedia article on RSU taxation encapsulates the differences between RSUs and stock options: 


     


    http://www.investopedia.com/articles/tax/09/restricted-stock-tax.asp


     


    It's why certain Apple executives were compelled to sell off a portion of their holdings earlier this year (to cover tax liability). With stock options, the recipient has no liability until options are exercised. With RSUs, the recipient doesn't really have a choice.


     


    RSUs usually are tied to some sort of performance clause. Stock options are typically granted and vested with no further review.


     


    A commonplace vesting Silicon Valley stock option schedule would be 20-25% vested after one year, with another 2% every month thereafter; typically, the exercise expiration date would be ten years from the grant date. Typically (in good times), you'd be fully vested in about 5 years and then have 5 years to figure out when you wanted to exercise your option (i.e., to purchase the shares at the price in your option grant).


     


    By contrast, RSUs are typically exercised with all stipulations of the grant are made, typically time/performance specific. The recipient really doesn't have the option of deferring the action. 

  • Reply 16 of 38
    My apologies. That was a poor choice of words. It's not a stock option for retail employees, but there is a stock purchase program in place where retail employees can purchase discounted stock. Under such circumstances and even without such a plan, it would be catastrophic to give thousands of retail employees information that is meant to be secret while denying such info to the general public..

    Furthermore, it is absolutely the case that these meetings serve as an opportunity to encourage and excite the retail staff. Although it does create some time for training and development and the like, it is not uncommon and does in fact happen every quarter. Depending on the extent of the celebratory activities, these meetings may be in the stores themselves or out somewhere in the local communities.
  • Reply 17 of 38
    cvaldes1831cvaldes1831 Posts: 1,832member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Blackacre View Post

    My apologies. That was a poor choice of words. It's not a stock option for retail employees, but there is a stock purchase program in place where retail employees can purchase discounted stock. Under such circumstances and even without such a plan, it would be catastrophic to give thousands of retail employees information that is meant to be secret while denying such info to the general public..
    Furthermore, it is absolutely the case that these meetings serve as an opportunity to encourage and excite the retail staff. Although it does create some time for training and development and the like, it is not uncommon and does in fact happen every quarter. Depending on the extent of the celebratory activities, these meetings may be in the stores themselves or out somewhere in the local communities.

    Well, yeah.

     

    It is well known that Apple retail employees are given benefits commensurate with what is similarly given throughout the retail industry. ESPP is a basic benefit.

     

    It is also pretty well determined that retail employees are the last to get any concrete information, based on the leakiness of the retail employee pool. That's why Apple Retail Store managers don't get to break the seals off of special correspondence until the wee hours before the announcement, yet they are told to restrict vacation time to employees and to book certain individuals for graveyard shifts before certain dates.

    Apple corporate doesn't trust the retail channel to keep secrets and they are right.  

  • Reply 18 of 38
    lenolenolenoleno Posts: 27member


    Mamita aqui viene el iMac Retina!


     


    transalation: where is my $ 3000 credit card?

  • Reply 19 of 38
    calfotocalfoto Posts: 70member


    I'm sure this couldn't have anything to do with the fact the come July 1st every Apple store will have probably a thousand people a day coming it to ask where their email went...


     


    Nah, never happen...

  • Reply 20 of 38
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    calfoto wrote: »
    I'm sure this couldn't have anything to do with the fact the come July 1st every Apple store will have probably a thousand people a day coming it to ask where their email went...

    Nah, never happen...

    Could you explain that to me? Are you saying that my @me.com email will stop working on July 1st? Considering it's the same domain used for iCloud I have a strong suspicion that will not be the case. What you're confused by is that the last paid MobileMe subscriber holdouts will be rolled into free iCloud users.
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