Jim Dalrymple over at The Loop recently posted Apple boss tries to gut retail operation and I would recommend that you head over and read the entire piece.
Having worked in Apple Retail in the past, I was a little upset by the piece. The Apple Store is one of the greatest assets Apple has and the idea of trying to slim down the operation is beyond ridiculous, the only thing I can hope for is that Tim Cook will fire their recent SVP of Retail, John Browett, and get someone in there who can actually do the job … maybe Ron Johnson would be interested in coming back.
Even while I was there, staffing was an issue and the idea of having less staff around while iOS and Mac devices are still being sold at breakneck speed is not just mind-bogglingly stupid, it’s mind-boggingly dangerous for Apple as a whole.
The Apple Stores allow the rest of the company to have a personal relationship with the actual users of devices to an extent that no other electronics company can, which allows them to react to problems faster, deal with user issues faster, and gain information faster than their competitors. Treating it like some sort of plain cost center that must be cut is just dumb.
2 replies on “The Gutting of Apple Retail”
Every time I enter the Des Moines Apple Store, I am amazed at the number of employees and everyone is really busy most of the time. In fact, I would say the Apple Store in Iowa here is getting busier each time I visit it. The Genius Bar has vanished and in it’s place are a couple standing height tables with “blue shirts” helping those in need. In some cases, small group or one-on-one classes are being conducted.
Apple Stores are not like the Gateway fiasco of a decade or more ago. I am not sure how Apple would slim down a busy operation like an Apple Store.
Agreed. They should be investing more money into the Apple Stores instead of looking at ways of cutting staff. Just mind-bogglingly.