New Apple Store app launches Thursday; here's how it will change Apple's retail operations
While information about Apple's new iOS app and retail plans have leaked out in various forms over the past few weeks, we now have the whole story thanks to a trusted source.
Context & Ripple Effects
Apple first put its retail app into the App Store in 2010, then expanded it in 2011 with build-to-order Mac configuration and new in-store functions. Thursday’s launch extends that effort to make the iPhone part of Apple’s retail workflow rather than only a product-discovery channel.
First-order effects
- Apple’s retail customers gain an app-based route into store-related purchasing and service interactions, while store staff must incorporate the new app into their operating flow.
Second-order effects
- Apple can shift more configuration and transaction preparation from the retail floor to customers’ devices, concentrating store staff on the interactions that still require in-person help.
Third-order effects
- The move points to retail operations becoming a software layer across devices and physical stores, with the value of the store increasingly tied to how tightly the two channels are coordinated.
The trend: Apple is integrating its iOS software with its retail estate so that mobile devices become part of the store experience and operating model.