Apple may be revamping its storefronts to promote the Apple Watch, but it won’t be encouraging you to buy one there. Retail head Angela Ahrendts has sent a memo to Apple Store staff asking them to suggest customers use the online store to order both the Apple Watch and 12-inch MacBook. The memo reportedly reflects the fact that store inventory of both products will be very limited when the MacBook goes on sale on Friday and the Apple Watch follows two weeks later.
Ahrendts’ two-paragraph memo aims to put a positive spin on the fact that many customers are likely to be disappointed when trying to purchase the new products, suggesting that pointing them to online purchase will “make their day” …
Ahrendts acknowledges that most customers are used to buying products in Apple Stores, and that shifting sales to the online store will require a “significant change in mindset.”
The memo was obtained by Business Insider, whose source also told them that U.S. store pickup of the Apple Watch will be discouraged when making pre-orders online, and will not be available at all in the UK.
Get in line 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.
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.
Retail staff were also sent preview images of the in-store Apple Watch display cabinets, with the watches beneath sheets of glass–the main one an image we first showed you last month.
