Apple is set to release the Apple Watch to the public in a few short weeks and is making headlines for using new sales techniques it has not used before.
The company will not be selling the device in its Apple stores for walk-in customers but will instead be selling the device by appointment only and through encouraging users to purchase the device online.
"The days of waiting in line and crossing fingers for a product are over for our customers. The Apple Store app and our online store make it much easier to purchase Apple Watch and the new MacBook. Customers will know exactly when and where their product arrives," says Angela Ahrendts, Apple retail chief, in an internal memo sent to Apple employees. "This is a significant change in mindset, and we need your help to make it happen. Tell your customers we have more availability online, and show them how easy it is to order. You'll make their day."
There is good reason for these decisions. In past times, when new Apple products were released, lines for the Apple store would get a little, well, crazy. With people camping outside of Apple stores for weeks to be among the first to have the chance to buy a new Apple product, it makes sense that the company would want to cut down on lines.
Not only that, but inventory is sure to be a problem, especially for a highly customizable product. With a slew of band options, a number of body options, and even the ability to purchase the device in gold, keeping inventory for every part that goes into customizing an Apple Watch would be a nightmare.
There will most certainly be side effects to this effort to cutting down on lines, most notably the massive amounts of hype that these types of lines have created in the past. Every time a popular new Apple product is released, there are multiple headlines about how many people have been waiting, how long those people have been waiting and so on.
It also seems to defeat the purpose of having Apple stores in the first place. Users will certainly still be able to buy an Apple Watch at Apple stores, but only through appointments, making the Apple store more of a showroom than an actual store.
It is unclear if the trend of aiming to cut down on lines will continue with other product releases, however, with a new retail chief at Apple, Angela Ahrendts, who previously worked for Burberry, it seems likely. It will certainly be frustrating for users if this is still the case once the bulk of the hype is over and supply of parts is much more stable.
