Apple Retail

iPhone 5 to go on sale at 8 am local time at Apple Retail on September 21, unlocked starting at C$699

By Rene Ritchie, Thursday, Sep 13, 2012 a 11:40 pm

If you're not pre-ordering your iPhone 5 but instead want to engage in the age-old (since 2007 anyway) tradition of lining up outside your local Apple Retail Store, and enjoy all the pomp and circumstance (and screaming Apple Geniuses) that go with it, good news -- According to Apple.com those stores will open at 8am local time on launch day, September 21.

The Canadian Apple Online Store also lists the factory unlocked price starting at $699 for 16GB. (Which probably means $799 for 32GB and $899 for 64GB... Yeah.)

Apple SVP of retail, John Browett, addresses Apple Stores, stresses people and service

By Rene Ritchie, Monday, Sep 10, 2012 a 6:21 pm

Apple's new senior vice president of retail, John Browett, gave his quarterly address to Apple Store employees last night. While normally routine and not exactly newsy, it follows a series of staffing and PR gaffs that have raised concerns about Browett's role and Apple's devotion to its experience-over-profit model. Mark Gurman from 9to5Mac scored a recording of the address.

Recent Apple Retail screw-ups rumored not to be solved, emblematic of larger, post-Jobs problem

By Rene Ritchie, Tuesday, Aug 28, 2012 a 12:02 am

While new Apple Retail head John Browett reportedly apologized and reversed recent staffing decisions that threatened the phenomenal experience of Apple Stores, it's now being rumored that the apologies weren't exactly sincere, weren't actually given to the staff, and may reflect a new, more profit-oriented, less customer-centric, direction instigated by Apple CEO Tim Cook and CFO Peter Oppenheimer.

Apple apologizes for retail store staffing screw-ups

By Rene Ritchie, Thursday, Aug 16, 2012 a 2:24 pm

Apple has apologized for recent Apple Store staffing screw-ups that saw one of the most laudable retail operations in the world cut and confuse staff and threaten a reputation that, until now, has been second-to-none. Stories about the cuts and confusion in Apple Retail began to spread last week, and while Apple is denying reports about layoffs, they are admitting to the incredibly poor judgement when it comes to Apple Retail staffing general:

Apple Retail reportedly price-matching discounted iPhones

By Rene Ritchie, Thursday, Aug 9, 2012 a 9:53 pm

Apple is reportedly matching the close to $50 discount carriers and retailers have begun offering on the iPhone 4S. While carriers and retailers typically start discounting the current iPhone as it approaches the 1 year mark, and a next generation iPhone looms on the horizon, Apple matching them is somewhat surprising.

New York Times slams Apple Retail. Kinda.

By Rene Ritchie, Saturday, Jun 23, 2012 a 5:22 pm

Apple enjoys tremendous marketing benefits from the attention they attract as one of the most popular brands, and successful companies in the world. So it's only fair they also enjoy the equal and opposite results of that attention -- a burning spotlight on their every flaw, real and imagined. Once again, The New York Times turns that burning spotlight on Apple, this time examining Apple Retail.

Unfortunately, like the rest of their iEconomy series on Apple, the packaging continuously undermines the importance of its subject matter. Let's look at the headline:

Apple’s Retail Army, Long on Loyalty but Short on Pay

Apple Retail Stores replace iMacs with iPads for kids

By Rene Ritchie, Wednesday, Apr 25, 2012 a 3:05 pm

Apple Retail Stores have replaced the iMacs that traditional served as their "kid's table" with iPads. The tables, which had previously been decked out with a quartet of iMacs, now sport 4 iPads instead.

Best Buy sells almost as many iPhones as Apple store, AT&T and Verizon sell way more than both

By Simon Sage, Friday, Mar 23, 2012 a 10:38 am

A survey of iPhone shoppers from December last year through February, reveals that 13% had bought their iPhones from Best Buy, while 15% had purchased theirs directly from Apple. Of course, carriers brought in the lion's share of sales; AT&T sold to 32% of those surveyed, Verizon claimed 30%, and Sprint a less-than-impressive 7%. The survey, conducted by Consumer Intelligence Research Partners, also showed that online stores only accounted for 24% of sales, with regular brick-and-mortar establishments taking up the remaining 76%.

Apple Retail Stores opening at 8am for new iPad launch on Friday, March 16

By Rene Ritchie, Wednesday, Mar 14, 2012 a 9:02 am

Apple has announced that the new iPad will be going on sale at Apple Retail Stores on Friday, March 16 at 8am local time in the US, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, Switzerland and the UK; along with Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.

Does Apple’s new retail SVP, John Browett, make sense? [Stock talk]

By Chris Umiastowski, Friday, Feb 3, 2012 a 11:33 am

"Is it also possible that Browett’s experience at Dixons, and before that Tesco (the world’s third largest retailer) might just be right what Apple needs as it continues on its path towards world domination?"

We, and pretty much the rest of the blogosphere were, shall we say, slightly bewildered when Apple announced its new SVP of Retail, John Browett.

Browett is, at first glance, an unusual hire because the retail organization he is leaving seems to be the exact opposite of what Apple stands for. He was the CEO of Dixons, the well known British technology retailer.

Big box retailers couldn’t be further from Apple’s model of clean, spacious, bright and minimalistic. Apple employees always want to help, knowing that when you are in their store you have already chosen their brand. They are highly service-oriented. Big box sales staff are all about making the sale. They couldn’t care less what brand of TV you jam into your SUV after you slip the cashier your credit card.