Retail Stores

Former Apple retail chief: 'I just didn't fit'

Apple's former retail chief apparently harbors few hard feelings about his previous employer, and says his brief stint at the company was "probably the best thing" that happened to him.

"Apple is a truly fantastic business. The people are great. They've got great products. It's got a great culture. And I loved working there -- it's a fantastic business," John Browett said during an on-stage interview at the Retail Week Live conference earlier this week.

"The issue there was that I just didn't fit within the way they ran the … Read more

Paris court to Apple Stores: No more breaking 9 p.m. curfew

Apple has been hit with a fine and new regulations by a Paris court that has taken aim at the company's alleged after-hours work in France.

According to the AFP, which was first to report on the ruling, the Paris Court awarded the unions that sued Apple 10,000 euros ($13,005) for its alleged violations. The court said that in some Apple stores in France, the company was asking employees to work past the 9 p.m. local time curfew in violation of the country's labor laws.

France bans companies from making employees work between 9 p.… Read more

Apple Store app gets new shipping options

Apple has updated its Apple Store app with two handy new options for buyers.

Released yesterday, version 2.5 of the app now lets you see whether an item that you order online can be delivered to your local Apple store.

Simply tap on the Check Availability link after you choose an item. Enter your city or ZIP code. The app shows you a list of the closest Apple Stores. Tap on one of the listed stores, and the app tells you if the item can be shipped there.

The app also offers more flexibility in where and how you … Read more

Staples is now selling Apple products

Consumers looking for Apple products or accessories can now find them at Staples, at least online.

The retailer is now officially stocking a variety of Apple items at its Web-based store. Staples is offering accessories for the iPhone, iPad, iPod, and Mac, including keyboards, mice, cases, covers, and cables. Larger and pricier items such as Time Capsules and Apple TVs are also available.

The products will start to pop up in Staples' retail stores as well. A salesperson at one Staples store told me that about half of the physical outlets will soon begin to stock various Apple items.

Staples … Read more

Staples will reportedly begin selling Apple products in U.S.

Apple products will soon be showing up at Staples stores, according to tweets from employees at the office supply store chain.

Regis Mulot, the vice president of international human resources at Staples, made the announcement this afternoon:

After Canada, #Apple products arecoming to #Staples in US. Great news!

— Regis Mulot (@FrenchHR) February 15, 2013

In addition to Mulot's tweet, Erin LaFlamme, a Strategic Accounts coordinator at Staples, tweeted her joy at the deal (and the apparent gift of Apple pie):

Thanks #Apple for letting #Staples sell you...oh, and for the delicious apple products to celebrate at... instagr.am/p/Vuezsgk6_t/… Read more

Tim Cook goes zen over Apple stores: It's not just about selling, but 'serving'

Even at a company given to the routine deployment of magical superlatives to promote its products and technologies, Tim Cook went out of his way today to describe Apple's stores as leagues beyond anything so mundane as a retail outlet.

"I'm not sure store is even the right word anymore," Cook said in a talk at a Goldman Sachs investor forum in San Francisco. "They've taken on a role much broader than that. They are the face of Apple for almost all of our customers."

Cook offered a uniformly bullish outlook for different … Read more

Apple 'unrivaled' in innovation, 'elegant experience,' Cook says

Apple CEO Tim Cook today defended the company's cash hoard, said that innovation is in the corporate DNA, added that the smartphone market may be the best ever and outlined his acquisition strategy. He also knocked the PC industry's focus on specifications and noted the iPad is the "poster child" of the post-PC era.

Cook, speaking at the Goldman Sachs Technology and Internet Conference in San Francisco, addressed Wall Street analysts and investors for the second consecutive year. Generally speaking, Cook has been much more open with investors than former CEO Steve Jobs.

The overall theme … Read more

Apple's Chinese New Year sale hits Jan. 25 -- but only in Asia

Apple will kick off its Chinese New Year sale Friday, giving customers in the key Asia market access to discounts as part of its effort to attract buyers in the fast-growing region.

The sale will last from 12:01 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. on Jan. 25 and will take place in China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, and Taiwan.

Apple already has introduced a Chinese New Year gift guide, but it's unclear what discounts it will offer Friday. Deals in the past included 8 percent off iPads and 10 percent off iPod Touches, as … Read more

Apple eyes retail revival in Indonesia

Apple will invest between $2 million and $3 million in opening a new retail store in Indonesia, according to one publication, after filing an application with the country's investment board.

According to NZWeek, Indonesia's Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) announced it approved the application earlier today, which will see Apple debut in the online space in the country first, with an eye toward opening its first Apple Store in Jakarta, the country's capital city. 

The move will push Apple further into Asia, while still keeping the spinning plates of China's retail stores ticking over, as the … Read more