Stephen Hackett of 512pixels.net raises an interesting issue relating to the Apple Watch and its place in Apple’s Stores. With high-end models rumoured to be priced at up to $10,000, will the familiar and somethings frenetic atmosphere or Apple’s retail network be welcoming enough?
Stephen has a point. Buyers of expensive gold watches like to spend thier cash in quiet, luxurious surroundings. And they like to be served by attentive staff in formal clothing.
It is hard to imaging even a quiet and select corner of a traditional Apple Store creating that ambience. And blue tee shirts are not what you expect when shelling out $10k. As Stephen makes clear:
The Apple Stores are informal at best, and confusing at worst. We’ve all walked into a busy store just to feel frustrated at trying to grab someone’s attention. Even in stores that have a greeter to help pair customers with sales associates, it’s a far cry from the one-on-one, high-touch experience someone looking to buy jewelry is used to having.
I have no doubt Jony Ive and Angela Ahrendts are well aware of this potential problem and it will be fascinating to see how they go about solving it. We will learn more later today.