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If You Want To Buy an Apple Watch In-Store, You'll Need a Reservation
An anonymous reader writes "Good news for those of you thinking of buying an Apple watch but were concerned the experience wouldn't feel exclusive enough. According to MacRumors there will be no walk-in sales the first few weeks of launch. Instead, you'll have to call the store and make reservations. From the article: "Apple will begin offering online pre-sales of the Apple Watch starting on April 10th, with the first deliveries occurring on April 24th, the official Apple Watch launch date. During those two weeks, customers will be able to have hands-on 'try-on' appointments at Apple retail stores in order to help make up their mind. However, according to training documents that MacRumors has received, Apple is not allowing any walk-in retail purchases for the Apple Watch at launch. Instead customers must make an online 'Product Reservation' to hold a specific Apple Watch model at a retail store. This new 'Product Reservation' system is used instead of Apple's 'Personal Pickup' system for Apple Watches. Apple's retail training documents indicate that 'If a customer walks in and wants to purchase a watch, offer the option to try on a watch. Then help them place an order online or through the Apple Store app.'"
Hell, I'm still wearing a decades-old Bulova Accutron, the kind with the actual tuning fork mechanism. No way that's getting replaced with something that will be obsolete in a few months.
Do not look into laser with remaining eye.
It's also only for the initial few weeks after launch. This is aimed at getting rid of those queues of people that just *have* to have the latest Apple iThing on launch day from cluttering up the streets around the store, which I'm sure goes over well with the city administration that needs to police the queue and deal with the aftermath - at least some of which I suspect have probably had words with Apple store managers or VPs about it. Unless it's a complete debacle I suspect we'll be seeing similar management of iPad, iPhone and other major product launches.
My local Apple store was actually closed down by the fire marshal a few months ago. Now they force everyone to line up outside the store and count the number of people allowed in. On many Friday afternoons the Apple Store looks like a club, with people lined up just to get in the door. Even with an appointment, they force you to wait outside until there is space in the store. It's kind of comical because the inside of the store looks relatively empty compared to the crowd outside.