Details on Apple Retail’s New In-Store Pick Up and Self Check Out Process – Mac Rumors
(Source BGR via MacRumors)
MacRumors has detailed information on Apple’s two new retail initiatives, in-store pickup and self-checkout. The site expects the two services to be launched worldwide tomorrow:
In-Store Pickup
- For standard in-stock items, the product will become available to pickup in about 12 minutes. This provides the system enough time to send the order to the store, and allow Apple Retail employees to set aside items for pickup. Customers will be able to skip lines, and simply have to sign for them and leave.
- For build-to-order, engraved devices or other out-of-stock items, Apple will ship the items to your local Apple Store for free. Customers will receive a pick-up date and a push notification to the App will let you know when it has arrived. Again, 12 minutes from the push notification, the order will be ready for pickup
- Apple expects the majority of customers will eventually use in-store pick up for buying products.
- Customers will be able to return items purchased online to retail stores.
Self-Checkout
Here is how this will work: after you find the item you want to buy, like an accessory, you launch the Apple Store app on your iOS device and there will be an option to buy a product in the store. You scan the product with the camera on your device in the app, click purchase, and it will charge whatever credit card is associated to your Apple ID. You then just walk out of the store.
This sounds like a bit of a nightmare for the security staff, but I’m sure they’ll have it sorted.
I heard that after purchasing something through self check-out, the device you used to check out will have a sort of "receipt" that security people at the door will check as you leave with the merchandise. Sounds crazy–but may work! There's more info here: http://www.newsy.com/videos/apple-store-app-update-to-allow-self-checkout/)