Although the global situation has pushed online sales to unexpected limits, Apple continues to value and prioritize physical stores. In this regard, Bloomberg collects statements from Deirdre O’Brien, Vice President of Retail and Contact Persons Funke Media Group on the opening of the new Apple Store.
The experience of touching a product does not replace purchasing online
Apple currently has around 500 Apple Stores worldwide, including 100 in Europe. According to O’Brien, the physical locations provide the opportunity for people to discover new products and technologies, that they receive answers to their questions and doubts and that they participate in courses aimed at knowing them better and making better use of them.
“On our website people can learn a lot about the products; in a store, they can touch and smell them, ”says O’Brien. “We plan to add more stores.”
The global situation has moved almost all of the company’s purchases to the company’s website. Although the sales exceeded all expectations, the shopping experience is clearly different. One of the clearest examples is the launch of the new Apple Watch and the Solo Loop and Solo Loop braided straps. Suspenders with a sizing system for which we had to print and cut out a sheet of paper to measure the wrist.
It is clear that, as in this example, there are many Apple products that are intended to be sold in stores. The surprise of seeing the extreme thinness of the new iMac with M1 or of testing the noise cancellation of the AirPods Max this is something you have to experience in person.
Without going into detail, Deirdre O’Brien’s statements “adding more stores” are certainly welcome. Whether it’s expanding into new international markets or just offering closer locations in certain territories, we’ll see new openings at some point.
