Analysts are wonderful beings. Today it’s “Apple the Trillion Dollar Company,” tomorrow it’s doom an decay for Cupertino. In my view, though, they can throw away all their charts and spreadsheets. I have an an incredibly simple system for testing the temperature of the Apple waters: a superb spot to carry out research. It’s called an Apple Store. I pass my local store several times a week and always peer in to see how the company is doing. In common with all other Apple Stores I’ve visited, my store is always hopping. It has more customers per square foot than any other outlet in the mall. It has the highest staff:customer ratio of any retailer. Customers look happy and enthusiastic. Products fall off the shelves. Always.
So far the trend has been upward. Apple Stores get busier and busier, even as more outlets are opened. When you notice the reverse happening; when you see the blue shirts twiddling their thumbs on a Monday morning; then that is the time to start worrying. I sometimes wonder if the analysts ever take their eyes off their statistics and their spreadsheets.