Apple Retail

Who has the most satisfying customer experience in the UK? That'll be Apple Retail

By Richard Devine, Friday, May 17, 2013 a 3:43 pm

Leading UK consumer campaigner, Which?, has conducted a survey into customer satisfaction across UK high-street retail stores. While the likes of WHSmith and carrier, EE, scored near the bottom, is there any surprise who topped the table? Apple Retail Stores.

First Apple store in Berlin, Germany opens to enormous crowds

By Richard Devine, Friday, May 3, 2013 a 1:44 pm

Whenever Apple does something, hoards of excited people usually follows. Today's opening of the very first Apple Store in the German capital, Berlin, was absolutely no exception. As is tradition, huge crowds of eager Apple fans queued up for as long as 10 hours prior, according to the Berlin Morgenpost.

Ron Johnson's ouster from JC Penny leads to speculation about a potential Apple Retail return

By Rene Ritchie, Tuesday, Apr 9, 2013 a 8:59 am

Ron Johnson, who helped Apple and Steve Jobs establish their retail presence and make Apple Stores among the most successful commercial venues of the modern era, has been unceremoniously dumped as CEO of JC Penny. Johnson, who left Apple in 2011, had been working on applying some of that Apple Retail magic to the clothing business, but results to date had been less than spectacular. In a prepared statement, JC Penny announced they were replacing Johnson with former CEO Mike Ullman.

An inside look at Apple Anonymous and retail employee attempts to be both secret and social

By Rene Ritchie, Friday, Mar 22, 2013 a 8:38 am

Even outside Cupertino, in the massive retail division of Apple, secrecy is a deeply held value. Yet people are, by nature, social animals, and platforms like Twitter and even Google+, filled with friends and family, are in many cases just too big to ignore. Some simply draw up a firewall, never mentioning anything not already public knowledge about their employer or their employment, and focusing on the non-Apple aspects of their lives. Others, however, want to use places like Twitter as a way to blow off company steam -- as a place to bitch about their jobs. Mark Gurman of 9to5Mac has taken a look at that side of the Apple/Twitter equation:

Apple relaxes 3-device limitation for employee friends and family purchases

By Rene Ritchie, Wednesday, Feb 13, 2013 a 7:19 pm

Whether you take this as a sign that Apple inventory levels are now in better balance, or simply that Apple is feeling a little more generous with their employees, it looks like the previous 3-device limit on friends and family purchases has been relaxed. Now, before you start looking for pop-up sales next to your local lemonade stand, reasonable limits on EPP 15% discount program purchases are still in place. What's reasonable? According to people at Apple who noticed the policy change:

Jerry McDougal, vice president of retail, retires from Apple

By Rene Ritchie, Tuesday, Jan 15, 2013 a 6:57 pm

Apple's vice president of retail, Jerry McDougal, has left the company in order to spend more time with his family. McDougal previously reported to Ron Johnson, before Johnson left for JC Penny, and most recently, John Browett, before Browett was let go from the position.

Apple starts selling the iPhone 5 unlocked online in the U.S., at retail in Canada

By Rene Ritchie, Thursday, Nov 29, 2012 a 11:14 pm

As of today you can walk into an Apple Retail store in Canada and walk out with an unlocked iPhone 5. That's something that was only possible via Apple Online orders until now, likely to prevent the type of scalping activity -- the same people lining up everyday to buy unlocked iPhones only to resell them overseas -- that caused problems with previous Canadian launches. Not to be left totally behind, the U.S. has also started selling the iPhone 5 unlocked, but only via Apple Online.

So, if you still haven't gotten your iPhone, and you want to walk into an Apple Store and walk out with an unlocked one, and you live in Canada, today's your lucky day.

Go get it.

Apple retail employees reportedly taking to the streets to help fix iOS 6 Maps

By Joseph Keller, Wednesday, Oct 3, 2012 a 1:09 pm

Apple may be turning to its retail employees to improve its new Maps app for iOS 6. Retail store employees are being asked to, on a volunteer basis, examine the mapping data for their area and submit corrections and improvements to Apple. Stores participating in the initiative will give 40 hours of staff time per week, which will be distributed across several employees.

US Apple Retail Stores reportedly set to launch personal pickup for iPhone 5 starting tonight at 10pm

By Rene Ritchie, Monday, Sep 24, 2012 a 5:25 pm

If you still haven't managed to secure an iPhone 5 for yourself or someone close to you, the online orders feel like they'll take forever, and the lineups are completely unappealing, good news -- it sounds like US Apple Retail Stores are preparing to start offering personal pickup.

Unlocked iPhone 5 will not be available at Apple Retail Canada, online only

By Rene Ritchie, Saturday, Sep 15, 2012 a 9:53 am

There's been a lot of confusion over the last 48 hours as to whether or not Apple would be selling the iPhone 5 unlocked at Apple Retail Canada. For the last few years Apple has sold new iPhones unlocked at Apple Retail on launch day, but that time is over. As part of new, anti-scalping measure, if you want an unlocked iPhone in Canada this year, you'll have to order online.