Apple Revolutionizing Retail

conq writes "BusinessWeek has an interesting blog entry on Apple's 'iPod Express table', where they streamline the sale of iPods in their store. From the article: 'But the best part was that the Apple Geniuses behind the table had wireless gizmos for scanning credit cards, and Apple had worked out a totally wireless, paperless checkout process, called EasyPay. Once scanned, they advise you that the receipt will be in your inbox within an hour (since I'm already a registered Apple customer, they didn't even need to take my email or other information).'"

Comments

Apple Stores

[mysqlrocks]

Apple Stores seem to always get it right in general. I'm talking about the official Apple Stores here. For example, my partner had to get a minor problem fixed on his PowerBook. He showed up at the Genius Bar, they took it apart in front of us, fixed the problem, and we went on our way. They never once asked for a receipt or any other form of identification. No hassles at all, no proof of warranty, nothing.

Re:Apple Stores

[Anonymous Coward]

Good luck trying to do that at any of the large populus Apple stores like SoHo in NYC. The Genius Bar is booked all day, forcing you to make an appointment online in advance.

Re:Apple Stores

[pomo monster]

Apple's opening two more stores in Manhattan this year (2006), one in midtown opposite Empire State, another on Fifth Ave at the GM Plaza. Hopefully that'll alleviate some of the crush.

Re:Bah

[CokeBear]

You still have that option. Just walk to the back of the store with your wad of cash (try not to get mugged on the way) and you can happily pay in any denomination of legal tender. No personal information required.

They are just trying to find a way to reduce the lineup at a busy time. Is that such a bad thing?

Never got a receipt. watch out

[Anonymous Coward]

I purchased a 4gb nano from the apple store here in San Diego (Fashion Valley). Quick, Easy, and paperless. Problem is that I never received a receipt via email. Be sure that they READ BACK your email address if you go this route.

Re:Bah

[Anonymous Coward]

nah. whats bad is i bought an iPod service agreement using this 2 months ago and still haven't received my receipt. that was my attempt at saving trees. never again until they can prove that it actually works.

Amazing But True

[diorio]

I was talking with the sales guy there and saw the hand held device.....it looked strangly WINDOWS. He told me that it was and they took a couple months before they could get the START button removed. Also the windows serial number sticker was removed off the back.

There is no hiding from it!

this is all very off-topic.

[poot_rootbeer]

The 12-for-a-penny music services like BMG and Columbia House were still not a terrible deal, back in the day. Even with the overpricing and handling fees of 'regular price' discs, after your contractual obligations were out of the way it still only worked out to $7 or $8 per CD.

The main drawback of the system, assuming you remembered to decline the club selection when you didn't want it each month, is the main drawback of iTunes Music Store and the like today: many popular acts are simply not available. Good luck finding The Beatles or Metallica anywhere but at your local brick-and-mortar CD store, for instance.

Re:this is all very off-topic.

[soupdevil]

The real drawback of the system is that artists don't make a penny of royalties off of CD-club sales: it's considered a promotional album as opposed to a retail album. It's standard boilerplate on all label contracts. Which means if you're going to rip off the artists, download the album from Kazaa because it's actually a better for the artist. Labels use P2P traffic analysis to decide which artists get better budgets for promotions and music videos, which can make or break an album.

right..

[Politburo]

Their newfangled system didn't work at the Apple store where I went. The guy with the credit card reader just stared at me, even after I asked him about product availability. Several staff members told me they were out of stock for a certain product, when in fact they were not out of stock (The guy behind me in line, who didn't talk to the floor staff, got the last one.. that sucked).

And there were still fairly large lines. It wasn't that there were a ton of people there.. the transactions were slow because the cashiers had to explain the email service, then type in the email (if applicable), etc.

Re:Not so new

[vandoravp]

At the Apple store near me it looks like you sign on a touch sensitive screen instead of a physical reciept both in the front and at the iPod table.

Re:This would make me nervous

[borkus]

Actually, many retailers can retrieve an order by credit card. While doing so isn't as secure for the retailer as a physical receipt, it does mean that the retailer can exchange a faulty product without holding the customer to task for losing a tiny piece of paper. Since a customer making a return or exchange is probably unhappy, executing the transaction quickly and conveniently is very crucial.

iPod vending machine

[ajwitte]

It's been done already. http://www.flickr.com/photos/sbisson/12619332/

Re:This would make me nervous

[bahwi]

It was optional. Cash registers are still located at the back of the store.

There ya go, everything you want(paper receipt, status enabling apple bag) and everything others want(faster checkout, little or no line).

Re:Not so new

[nicklott]

Well, the UK they call it "Chip & PIN" and in New Zealand (where they've had this and wireless card readers for years) it's called EFTPOS. It's also probably got a different name in every country in Europe cos they all have it. It's just a card payment system where you put a PIN number in instead of signing the paper. Pretty simple.

However, I doubt apple have rewritten the credit card company's rules to introduce this system into the US, so they're probably just getting people to sign those little gidgets that the couriers use (here in the 1st world anyway)

Re:Bah

[eclectic4]

"If you want my personal information, buy it."

Apple uses your information for two things... to find out where to put new stores via your zip code, and to make any future service for your product seamless. You walk into a store to see a Genius (free personal tech support! Holy shitballs!), they scan the serial number. Done. They know when you purchased your product (no need for a receipt to prove warranty!), and they know your name and phone number to call you when service is done. It is never sold to anyone else, it's merely for Apple to provide better customer service, period. Not sure why these are considered "bad", but I suppose we are all entitled to our opinions...