How will Apple Watch be displayed in retail stores next month? Apple’s own “try on by appointment” language led many people to believe appointments would be required to actually go hands-on with Watches before making a purchase. 9to5Mac has confirmed, however, that try on appointments won’t be necessary and that retail staff plan to accommodate walk-in customers wishing to try on an Apple Watch.
Apple’s latest memo to retail employees, obtained by 9to5Mac, asks staff to prepare for several upcoming Apple Watch dates. Required final meetings and training will take place at the end of March, followed by online preorders on April 10, when the device will also arrive for “preview” in retail stores. In the memo, Apple confirms that appointments won’t be necessary to try on the device in stores, but they are recommended:
“…appointments can be made online or through the Apple Store app— they’re recommended, but not necessary. Customers who come to your store without one will be taken care of…”
Apple’s press release for the device mentioned that customers would be able to “try-on by appointment” at retail stores, leading many mainstream media outlets to report that appointments would be necessary for actually touching the device in stores. Since Apple appears to be keeping the Watch collection neatly under new custom glass top tables (as pictured above), it’s unclear how Apple staff will actually assist walk-in customers with trying on the Watch, but it’s likely you’ll need to call over an employee and ask to see a particular model. That means you’ll have to wait your turn for an available employee like in any other situation, however.
As Apple mentioned briefly on stage at its press event this month, the company plans to have the Sport and Watch model collections available to purchase in stores, but the $10,000+ 18k gold Watch Edition collection will only be at “select stores in limited quantities.” It remains to be seen how many of the Watch Edition collection Apple will produce and what specific stores will have them in stock. In addition to its own retail stores, Apple plans to show off and likely sell the Apple Watch at boutique locations at high-profile retailers in Paris, London and other locations.
We reported earlier this month that Apple was preparing a new Reserve and Pickup system that would allow customers to reserve Apple Watches starting April 10 when preorders kick off, picking the items up in retail stores when they officially launch on April 24.
Apple is also using the Apple Watch launch to push new features of its online store, suggesting that its retail employees “blend the online and in-store experience” by demoing the online store for those that don’t want to set up a try-on appointment: “Show the new features of store.Apple.com, and invite them to chat with an online specialist.”
Apple unveiled pricing for the device at its press event earlier this month with a starting price of $349 for the Sport model all the way up to $17,000 for the most expensive 18k gold Edition model.
Apple has also prepared retail staff in the weeks leading up to the Apple Watch launch. We reported that the company was briefing retail employees on how to sell Watch to customers, installing safes inside stores to house the expensive 18k gold models, and reportedly pulling competing fitness related wearables from Nike and Jawbone.
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They’ll accomodate walk in customers for Apple Watch the same way they accomodate them for Genis Bar appointments. They’ll set you up with a walk in appointment. There’s very little chance they’re just going to continuously pop open that case for anyone asking. Stores are too busy for that. But i guess we’ll all find out in a few weeks
I totally agree with you iJonni, They aren’t going to open that case 10,000 time a day and again if I was buying a Rolex or other @ $10K like I might with the iWatch,I would want that personally care and attention that I get with the Genis Bar…
Having worked formerly in Apple Retail for 3 years, I would guess that they will not ever be opening the display case, it would be too cumbersome. I would imagine the display case is there merely to show off every model of watch available.
What I think is more likely to happen is that those assigned to work the Apple Watch table will be given demo units to wear with each having a different combination of strap, etc. Then the customer can try on the watch and perhaps different bands can be swapped out at the ready, similar to how iPad smart covers are on display.
I don’t see how they are going to do this in my local Apple store (or many others). Mine is literally cheek-to-jowl, ass-to-ass people 24/7. You literally have to suck in your gut as you enter to be able to walk down the aisles. Fighting your way to the back for an appointment (and it’s a small store) can take ten minutes.
The idea that there will be some kind of “retail experience” as people have been suggesting seems very unlikely to me.
I see people trying it on in a complete crush, while the Apple employee screams at you over the din of the crowd about it’s features and you mistakenly elbow the fat guy behind you in the gut. You will have all of five minutes to think about it, because 100 angry people are standing out in the mall behind velvet ropes waiting for their turn.
That’s what I see the “retail experience” being like for this.
Or you buy online and send it back if you dislike the styling. For the vast majority or people it’ll be as easy as buying an iPod in that you’ll have 5-6 colours to choose from and will know instinctively if you want big or small.
I think your understanding of how an Apple Store works is as astute as your understanding of what the word literally means
Either you better bring some antibacterial wet wipes or they better supply some. Kinda gross to be sampling on a bunch of smartwatches that have been worn by a thousand people before you. I still see people in the mall walk out of a bathroom stall (full on #2) or a urinal and right back to their sandwich at their table in the food court.
I’m sure they’ll have some microfiber wipes that they use to clean screens to wipe down each watch when necessary. These are watches, not something you are going to put to your mouth or stick in your ears. Are you one of those people that are excessively afraid of germs? I know there are some that won’t shake people’s hands because of being germaphobes.
First off, Urine is actually not unsanitary to drink. Believe it or not. Feces is bad to ingest, but not urine. Heck, have you ever been in a bar and ate the pretzels in those bowls? Or after dinner mints that aren’t in a plastic wrap? What do you think is on those?
Keyboards, trackpads, mouse, touchscreens would also be exposed to the same thing.
Heck, just breathing the air in a busy mall is bad enough.
Live on the edge, bring your own antibacterial wipes and wipe yourself down before and afterwards if you are that paranoid. ;-)
I think you are perhaps over focussed on this.
The fact that most people use their phone in the toilet already means that even if they washed their hands, they effectively *didn’t*, because they are using the phone both before, “during,” and after if you get my drift.
Washing your hands only works if you don’t keep using the poop covered device you went into the stall with.
Remind to never borrow your phone
It was already reported that Apple has stocked up on typical jeweller supplies, like alcohol wipes for cleaning devices.
I hope they did ‘typical’ and multiplied it by a factor of 100,000. Apple stores will be packed
Since I won’t be buying one immediately, I can wait until the lines of people dies down to normal conditions which will probably take a few months.
I’ll probably preorder and have it delivered to the house. if I really don’t like it, I’ll return it.
Personally I can’t stand being in a store that busy. It just feels uncomfortable…”fighting” to get enough play time with a gadget before you buy.
Same here, I’ll order on the 10th and probably stop by an Apple Store before the 24th…
I detest going to the Apple store for the same reason. I don’t think I’ve ever been in one that wasn’t wall-to-wall crowded. Hudson’s Bay has a better retail experience than Apple. Hell, almost any other store does.
Being realistic about this, put dummy Apple Watches on display in the show case and create an app to put onto the iPad usually station next to an apple product. You cannot trust a stranger holding a active demo watch, especially at that price range.
I think that will ruin the ” experience” people will have in the store .. I don’t see Apple using dummy units
If that’s the case, I can picture it being behind glass, in a section (or room), guarded… where the specialist can allow the user to wear the watch. Is hard to picture it, because of the apple watch price tag. @guacho8 how do you picture the set up to be like?
The one thing this article got wrong is: “…you’ll need to call over an employee and ask to see a particular model.” Don’t tell me that employees won’t be flocking this table, offering to let people try it on. After all your 10x more likely to buy something after you’ve touched it.
I like the idea of pre-ordering online with my wrist size given. Will this be a problem?