Apple’s reach in the consumer market is certainly great, but it turns out that they are just as influential when it comes to the retail world. This is pretty clear initially, when looking at how companies like Microsoft and Samsung blatantly rip off Apple’s retail store design.
Looking a little deeper, though, Apple also has a great amount of influence on salesmen themselves. Many companies are adopting Apple’s retail strategies due to the amazing success of the Apple Store.
Best Buy is now testing a new way of doing business, one inspired in a very obvious way by Apple. According to industry experts, Apple is now the envy of many large retailers. Apple’s retail dominance has reached as far as the automakers, inspiring GM to institute “no-haggle” pricing in order to ease the job of the salesman.
In fact, many large brands, such as Best Buy and Starbucks are now abandoning the term “salesperson” altogether, in line with Apple’s creative staff names, such as the “Genius” and “Specialist.”
While Apple certainly pioneered some amazing sales practices, too much of a good thing is never healthy, and if everyone adopts Apple’s strategies, they run the risk of becoming ineffective, bringing everyone back to square one.
Source: SmartMoney
Michael Steeber is a student who is obsessed with everything Apple. He enjoys making videos and runs the MSComputerVideos YouTube channel in his free time. You can follow him on Twitter as well.
6 responses to “How Apple Has Changed Retail Sales Forever”
And here comes a bunch of Apple haters spewing about how Apple wasn’t first to invent the “store” or that Samsuck doesn’t copy or some other dumb thoughtless haters being haters comment below… in 3…2..1…
It’s time for the media outlets to stop comparing Best Buy’s “new” strategy to Apple and to start comparing it to Circuit City’s final strategy. From Seeking Alpha: http://seekingalpha.com/article/711121-best-buy-s-transformation-maore-like-circuit-city-not-at-all-like-apple
From the link:
“Comparisons between Best Buy and Circuit City which were previously dismissed as ridiculous and unreasonable are now increasingly becoming more and more accurate.”
“Best Buy’s headlines today read like the Circuit City annual reports that were issued between 2004 though 2007.”
Finally, the trend toward more services is nothing new. If it were Apple-inspired, then there would be many low-cost and free services ($100 for One-to-One, free classes, free warranty support and troubleshooting). Instead, Best Buy is charging for everything, often at a high price. That doesn’t build customer loyalty; it builds customer resentment. It makes their store the last chance stop: “I’ve tried all my free options, now I’ll go there.”
Best Buy fundamentally does NOT grasp a single aspect of Apple’s successful retail strategy. It does, however, choose to adapt the strategies of spectacular failures such as Circuit City and CompUSA.
“GM to institute “no-haggle” pricing in order to ease the job of the salesman.”
I guess your way too young to realize that’s not exactly a new idea not even a GM …
Who the hell “haggles” in North America? I’ve never haggled for anything in my life. The price is the price on EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE unless you’re in a bazaar in some godforsaken place. Or if you’re buying used. I never buy used. Gross!
Steeber writes: “While Apple certainly pioneered some amazing sales practices, too much of a good thing is never healthy, and if everyone adopts Apple’s strategies, they run the risk of becoming ineffective, bringing everyone back to square one.”
Unfortunately Michael, your young age is to your disadvantage. I’m now 60 years old and I remember a time when I was a kid when “service” was a word that meant something in retail. I even remember when my dad pulled up to get gas, and one or sometimes two people came out to pump it and wash the car’s windows for no extra cost. Salespeople in department stores used to greet my parents at the door and asked if they could help. This used to be normal. It was during my 20’s and 30’s that I noticed retail employees starting to disappear. Nowadays in most stores I have to search to find a sales person to talk to because the aisles are empty of employees–a cost-cutting measure.
Apple has brought back the idea of service and helpful staff, which I heartily applaud, because it’s the right thing to do. If other companies also adopt friendly, helpful sales staff, this would be a wonderful thing and can never “run the risk of becoming ineffective”–which is a ludicrous idea.
If you don’t haggle on ANYTHING than you are overpaying for items. Can you haggle at an Apple Store? No. Best Buy? No. But those stands in the middle of the mall? You are supposed to haggle them, and no, none of those things are used. Whether it’s a stand selling cologne, phone / tablet accessories, or sunglasses, if you TRY you can almost always get them to come down on the price.
Also, if you aren’t haggling when you buy a car then you are definitely overpaying. You should never pay sticker price, not even on a brand new car