Retail Stores

Apple Stores get their turn under NY Times' investigative spotlight

Was recent Apple activity around raises at its retail stores a preemptive strike against a just-published New York Times article?

That's what The Los Angeles Times is wondering aloud today.

The extensive New York Times piece, which hit the Internet today bearing the headline "Apple's Retail Army, Long on Loyalty but Short on Pay," looks at what workers at the stores make relative to their commission-earning dopplegangers at carriers such as Verizon. It also speaks of hectic working conditions and shifts with no breaks, and gives a peek at what some might call the lightly cultish … Read more

Apple employees can now score $500 off Macs, $250 off iPads

Those of you who work for Apple can now enjoy a $500 discount off the purchase of a Mac and $250 off an iPad.

The new employee discounts kicked off yesterday, says 9to5Mac, and make good on a promise made by CEO Tim Cook back in January.

As usual, there's both good and bad news. The new benefits are on top of the normal 25 percent discount that Apple employees receive. But Mac minis and the new Retina MacBook Pro model are both excluded from the $500 cut in price. Other conditions apply, as detailed by Electronista.

Employees can … Read more

Reality check: Microsoft's calculated 're-Surfacing' of the PC business

So explain to me again why Microsoft doesn't deserve the benefit of the doubt for picking a fight with its hardware partners?

In the 24 hours since Monday's Surface announcement, there's been no shortage of commentary attesting to Microsoft's disloyal treatment of its longtime OEMs by going head-to-head with them in the tablet computer business.

But loyalty cuts both ways, and you don't need to rewind Michael Corleone's quote about separating business from the personal to understand that Microsoft's "partners" left it little choice in the matter. No doubt this was … Read more

Apple turns you on with the angle of its laptops

Sometimes, you're in a bar and there's a member of your target sex leaning just slightly toward you.

At least, that's what you think. Or rather feel. Something about their posture beckons you. Something suggests that you should be at one with them. Something tells you that they want you to complete them.

This is, apparently, a feeling Apple would like you to have inside its stores.

According to a moving piece from Forbes, each morning Apple employees whip out their iPhones, use an app called Simply Angle, and position the laptops to seduce.

The angle of … Read more

Apple looks to open two more stores in China

Apple is expanding its presence in China, a new report claims.

According to Reuters, Chinese government officials revealed today that Apple will be opening brick-and-mortar stores in Chengdu and Shenzhen, though they didn't say when those locations might open. The Shenzhen location, which will be in Holiday Plaza, a higher-end mall, only needs an environmental permit to open. The Chengdu location was approved in late May, according to Reuters' sources.

Apple currently has five stores in China, including two in Beijing and three in Shanghai. The move to open more stores is designed to increase Apple's presence in … Read more

Apple now selling Nest Learning Thermostat

The Nest Learning Thermostat has found a new home with the folks at Apple.

The company better known for iPhones and iPads is now selling the high-tech thermostat in its online store for $249.95. But the Nest is unlike conventional thermostats.

As befits the term "learning," the Nest can learn and remember your preferred temperatures to automatically keep things cool or warm. It turns itself off when your house is empty. And it taps into the power of remote control, letting you change the temperature from anywhere via your iPhone, iPad, Android device, or Mac.

This is … Read more

Nest thermostat coming to Apple retail stores soon, report says

The high-tech thermostat created by one of the founding members of the iPod team will soon be sold in Apple's retail stores, according to a new report.

iLounge says it's heard that Nest Labs' thermostat, which went on sale near the end of last year, is headed to Apple's stores and will be sold for its usual $249 retail price.

Apple has more than 360 retail stores around the world. The extra point of sale would add to the Nest's current sales options, which include the company's own online store, local installers, and Lowes stores … Read more

Here's how desperately cities want Apple stores

It seems that Apple is retail's Botox.

The minute an Apple store appears in a shopping mall -- or, say, a vast famous New York railway station -- somehow the area becomes prettier and more devastatingly young.

The Next Web reports that Apple is continually offered ludicrously favorable incentives just to be the next shiny dance partner for a city or a shopping mall.

Apparently, authorities in Grand Central Terminal and Salt Lake City didn't bother with annoying complexities as some (or any) rent or share of profit in order to encourage Cupertino to erect a little more … Read more

Apple scores big bump in customer satisfaction

Apple took home a 5-point jump in customer satisfaction, according to the E-Retail Satisfaction Index published today by customer analytics site ForeSee.

The iPhone maker's retail Web site scored 85 out of 100 in this year's index, compared with 80 last year. Only one other retailer, RueLaLa.com, managed a 5-point gain though that site grabbed an overall grade of only 75.

Despite Apple's ascent, it could only rise to second place, having achieved the same grade as QVC. On top as usual was Amazon.com, which captured a score of 89, up from 86 last year.… Read more