Shopping at a physical Apple Store has always been synonymous with a unique customer experience. As soon as you enter the company, you will get accurate information about a product, and a very helpful and friendly consultant will be ready to familiarize you with Apple devices, while being genuinely interested in your performance and experience with Apple in general.
However, this has changed in recent years. Not only has Apple become much bigger than it was in the 2000s, but the company has also started prioritizing online shopping. According to customers, it’s almost impossible to buy from a physical Apple Store because there isn’t one in their cities, it can be more expensive than third-party stores, and more.
The shopping experience changed a lot when Apple CEO Tim Cook hired Angela Ahrendts, a top luxury brand executive, to run retail. In a short time, Angela was responsible for transforming the stores from just a place where customers went to buy products to a true experience of the Apple philosophy. You can relax by a tree, watch a “Today at Apple” session, and make the store a meeting point. After retiring in 2019, Deirdre O’Brien became responsible for this section and immediately began repurposing the Apple Store experience. Yet something got lost in the middle, as customers were unhappy with neither Ahrendts nor O’Brien.
It’s too crowded during the holiday season
If you’ve ever tried to go to an Apple Store during the holiday season, you’ve probably been overwhelmed. The stores are completely full, and even if you know what you want to buy, you may have to make an appointment to buy the product, or wait a good half hour. The same thing happens during big release times, and some customers have compared shopping at an Apple Store to waiting in line at the DMV.
I remember going with my friends to the Apple Store on Regent Street in London towards the end of November, and my friend had to wait 45 minutes to buy the polishing cloth that Apple had recently released. On other occasions, I also remember the incredible wait time to just buy a band for the Apple Watch, because the store was so packed and the people working there were so overwhelmed by the number of people asking questions, taking their products in for repair, and more.
In these situations, it is not uncommon for customers to decide not to wait to purchase a product they already have in hand and go elsewhere. After all, whether it’s vacation or you’re just walking to a store, you want to be able to buy your gear as quickly as possible and get on with your life.
Apple Stores prioritized pickup model
During the early years of the iPhone and iPad, people lined up and even slept outside Apple Stores to be the one to get the new product before anyone else. The media would also cover stories about these Apple evangelists being the first to get the latest iPhone and suddenly dropping it on the ground. One of Angela Ahrendt’s biggest contributions, which in some ways also made the in-person shopping experience worse, was that Apple started prioritizing pickup products purchased online over people taking a chance on release day.
This way, Apple understands how many iPhones it actually needs to ship to a location, and users can go there at a specific time and know with certainty that in just a few minutes they will have their new product in hand. But it also makes the shopping experience much more informal, because you simply buy it online, select your local Apple Store, pick up the product, and go home.
Worse yet, this means that if you can’t be quick enough when selecting a new iPhone, iPad, or Mac online, there’s a good chance you could walk into the Apple Store on day one and not find a product available, as Apple is now prioritizing pickups over regular purchases.
More expensive than third-party marketplaces
Apple rarely gives discounts on its products. At certain times of the year, the company may offer a “Back to School” deal, which may include a gift card worth enough for you to get a pair of AirPods. Given this, customers might not feel inclined to pay full price for a product like the Apple TV 4K, with the last model having been updated more than three years ago.
On the other hand, if you go to Amazon, Best Buy, Target, and other stores, there’s a good chance you can find your next Apple product at a good price, even the latest ones. That said, what might still entice customers to visit an Apple Store or shop online is that Apple will still offer every possible configuration, which can be especially helpful when shopping for a new Mac. For other markets, the offering may be limited to specific storage and RAM options, and even colors.
If you want a specific model, the Apple Store might still be your safest bet. However, if your priority is getting a good deal, another store might be the better option, especially during Black Friday and other shopping-focused weeks.
There may not be an Apple Store nearby
Sometimes you might want to shop at an Apple Store because you like the experience, want to find a specific model, or something in between. However, you may not live nearby. In the United States, Apple has a few hundred stores across the country, but it’s not uncommon to hear someone say that their closest Apple Store is an hour, three hours, or more from their home.
In Brazil, for example, you only have two physical stores: one in São Paulo and another in Rio de Janeiro. If you’re not from these cities, you’ll end up with authorized third-party resellers, who don’t offer the same experience you’d expect from an Apple Store, or you’ll have to purchase your new product online. Since Apple doesn’t have as many physical stores as its customers would like, that means most of them are left with third-party resellers or just general stores like Best Buy, FNAC, Target, and other chains that might carry Apple products.
With that in mind, not having a store nearby and having to travel long distances to even find the desired product makes shopping at an Apple Store an unappealing option. For example, I remember buying an iPhone in Los Angeles and setting it up for in-store pickup. Apple missed my order and I ended up spending two hours in traffic so I couldn’t get my new phone. Shopping elsewhere would have been the wiser choice.
Apple Store employees continue to promote products
This may be controversial, but one of the things Apple customers liked most about Apple Stores is that consultants wouldn’t pitch products to them (after all, customers would already pitch them new devices). That’s changed lately, because even when you make a big purchase, like an iPhone Pro, a big iPad, or the latest MacBook Pro, Apple employees start asking you about add-ons: Do you want a better charger? What about AppleCare+? Do you know the Apple One subscription? What about Apple Music? Do you need this MagSafe case, cable, or accessory?
Although these additional devices and experiences can indeed improve the use of a new product, Apple customers were not used to consultants actively trying to upsell them. Back then, Apple Store employees didn’t have sales goals, because the main goal was to give the customer a good experience, whether they had a question, wanted to update a product, or simply see what’s new in the store.
Today, some customers leave Apple Stores thinking they might not get all the information they need, that the stores are just too busy, and that the experience isn’t what it used to be. So it seems that online shopping has become the best option for Apple customers.
