Apple Crushes Samsung In the Premium Segment
I was disappointed to hear the announcement that Apple Retail chief Angela Ahrendts is leaving Apple in April. She brought a fresh new approach to Apple retail and she was definitely a visionary leader. I’ve enjoyed watching her success at transitioning the Apple Store to the epitome of class and function.
Any allegation that Angela was fired from Apple is laughable. I’ve worked in large corporate retail and if I learned any one thing in my years there, it is this. People get promoted for having crowded stores, not fired.
However, there is one thing about the Apple Stores that has always puzzled me. They aren’t really just stores. They are also service centers. Any business with service centers from automotive dealerships to muffler shops always separate their retail space from the service center.
If I could change one thing about the Apple Stores it would be to separate the showroom from the service center just like a car dealership. Give the service center a separate entrance, floor space, and personnel.
When I go to the Apple Store to shop for a new iPad or accessories, I don’t want to wade through a bunch of people who are there waiting for a service appointment. Or conversely, if I go to the Apple Store for a screen repair, I’d like a lounge where I can sit and read magazines on my iPad in comfort.
In any case, I give Angela’s 5-year tenure at Apple high marks. I’m a big fan of picking up my online orders at the store and not waiting in line at 4am. My wife and I recently made a date-night out of a photography session and loved it. I also appreciate how I can buy stuff on my iPhone and don’t need to wait to check out. Who else does that?
I’m guessing the current Retail chief is just a fill-in while they search for a new Retail executive officer. People at that level get paid for their vision of what retail should be. They don’t get paid to operate the division on auto-pilot.
Whoever Apple finds to take over from Angela has a crucial role to play. Bricks-and-Mortar retail is undergoing change like never before. People can get their stuff online these days and expect more from a store. As I’ve written about before, Apple is crushing Samsung when it comes to the premium slice of the smartphone market and it’s large part due to the work of Angela Ahrendts and the retail stores.
However, there is one thing about the Apple Stores that has always puzzled me. They aren’t really just stores. They are also service centers. Any business with service centers from automotive dealerships to muffler shops always separate their retail space from the service center.
If I could change one thing about the Apple Stores it would be to separate the showroom from the service center just like a car dealership. Give the service center a separate entrance, floor space, and personnel.
When I go to the Apple Store to shop for a new iPad or accessories, I don’t want to wade through a bunch of people who are there waiting for a service appointment. Or conversely, if I go to the Apple Store for a screen repair, I’d like a lounge where I can sit and read magazines on my iPad in comfort.
In any case, I give Angela’s 5-year tenure at Apple high marks. I’m a big fan of picking up my online orders at the store and not waiting in line at 4am. My wife and I recently made a date-night out of a photography session and loved it. I also appreciate how I can buy stuff on my iPhone and don’t need to wait to check out. Who else does that?
I’m guessing the current Retail chief is just a fill-in while they search for a new Retail executive officer. People at that level get paid for their vision of what retail should be. They don’t get paid to operate the division on auto-pilot.
Whoever Apple finds to take over from Angela has a crucial role to play. Bricks-and-Mortar retail is undergoing change like never before. People can get their stuff online these days and expect more from a store. As I’ve written about before, Apple is crushing Samsung when it comes to the premium slice of the smartphone market and it’s large part due to the work of Angela Ahrendts and the retail stores.
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