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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.'"
These guys really are brilliant marketers. Famously brilliant. People who define themselves by the shit they own will eat this up!
I don't respond to AC's.
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.
UNIX? They're not even circumcised! Savages!
This makes sense for a number of reasons. First, it will keep scalpers from buying up so many devices and selling on eBay. Makes it much easier for Apple to keep track of these people. Second, it will reduce the number of impulse buys for people that don't really understand what the device can, and more importantly, can't do, thus reducing the number of returns and increasing overall customer satisfaction. Sure, it has downsides, but I think the upsides probably win out in this case.
Better known as 318230.
>prompt and circumstance
You're a pal and a cosmonaut.
Exclusive is a salesperson spending an hour just with you, patiently helping you to choose just the right style. Like... Macy's, when buying a watch of comparable price! Apple can not sell jewelry for nuts, they should have partnered with stores that have experience with making customers feel exclusive.
At a price of $350, it's hardly expensive for a watch. I'm sure that requiring the appointment is much more related to getting the thing set up with your iPhone to make sure the whole thing goes seamlessly I could seriously see quite a few people buying one and being disappointed when they couldn't get it to pair properly with their phone, or they don't even own an iPhone, and just expected it to work on it's own. I think they just want to ensure that people get a good experience with the watch. And letting random people buy it off the shelf is probably a sure way to lead to a lot of people who have no idea what the product is, and just giving it bad reviews.
Anthropic principle: We see the universe the way it is because if it were different we would not be here to see it.
I live about 85 miles from the closest Apple store.. Pretty much every interaction I've had when them is through an authorized reseller or via web/mail/phone. Forcing you to go to a store to pick one up is pretty much a PITA. Oh, and I don't live in the boondocks -- I'm in a city of 300,000 people, but stuck between two major markets, so Apple has passed us by.
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.
Speaking from experience, for those waiting to get their hands on the 10,000 dollar gold apple watch, good luck. apple makes this NEARLY impossible...heres all the crap ive had to put up with so far.
1. No helicopter landing at ANY apple store. I would have to park at an airport and find a limousine. who even does this anymore?
2. Usually the apple website is helpful for this, but with the appointment system and the weird locations of the apple store, It means i have to get off my yacht and actually enter the store. I didnt onboard a months supply of lox and champagne just to walk away from it. There are no ports of call on my island for the apple store
Good people go to bed earlier.