Les Store patienteront juin pour l'Apple Watch

Dans une note destinée aux employées que le journal anglais The Telegraph s’est procuré, la directrice des ventes d’Apple Angela Ahrendts est revenu sur le succès de la montre connectée et la vente en magasins. Si l’Apple Watch est déjà disponible à la “vue” depuis vendredi dernier, elle ne sera probablement pas vendue dans les magasins avant le mois de juin.

En l’espace d’une journée, Apple aurait vendu 1 million de sa première montre connectée, soit plus que le nombre de smartwatches Android Wear vendues en 2014. Le site internet de la marque qui était le seul moyen de pré-commander l’Apple Watch s’est vu pris d’assaut. En seulement quelques minutes, le délai d’attente pour la montre passait du “24/25 avril” à “4 à 6 semaines”, avant d’arriver “en juin”.

Si la date du 24 avril était censée être le jour de commercialisation de la smartwatch en magasins physiques, il semblerait que la marque ait été obligé de revoir ses plans en raison de la forte demande. Si les vendeurs en Apple Store était un peu confus lorsqu’on leur demandait quand est ce qu’elle arrivait en magasin, Angela Ahrendts ne les a encore une fois pas aidé. Elle recommande aux vendeurs de continuer d’inciter les amateurs à réserver leur montre connectée sur le site officiel, et ne pas donner de date d’arrivée en magasin.

Dans l’extrait ci-dessous, elle explique qu’Apple ne va probablement pas commercialiser l’Apple Watch dans les magasins en mai en raison de la forte demande. Cela remet donc à juin l’arrivée des appareils dans les Store. Autrement dit, cela vaut encore le coup d’aller la commander sur le site officiel de la marque.

Team,
On behalf of Tim and the rest of the executive team, I want to thank you very much for making last Friday’s debut of Apple Watch unforgettable. The Previews going on in our stores and support from our Contact Centers are unlike anything we have done before.
The feedback from customers is overwhelmingly positive. They are excited about Apple Watch, and your teams are creating fantastic experiences for them. Customers who pre-ordered will start receiving deliveries next Friday as planned, and I know you will do a great job helping them get set up.
Many of you have been getting questions asking if we will have the watch available in store on April 24 for walk-in purchases. As we announced last week, due to high global interest combined with our initial supply, we are only taking orders online right now. I’ll have more updates as we get closer to in-store availability, but we expect this to continue through the month of May. It has not been an easy decision, and I want to share with you the thinking behind it.
It’s important to remember that Apple Watch is not just a new product but an entirely new category for us. There’s never been anything quite like it. To deliver the kind of service our customers have come to expect – and that we expect from ourselves – we designed a completely new approach. That’s why, for the first time, we are previewing a new product in our stores before it has started shipping.
Apple Watch is also our most personal product yet, with multiple case and band options because it’s an object of self-expression. Given the high interest and initial supply at launch, we will be able to get customers the model they want earlier and faster by taking orders online.
I know this is a different experience for our customers, and a change for you as well. Are we going to launch every product this way from now on? No. We all love those blockbuster Apple product launch days – and there will be many more to come. They’re the moments where you, our teams, shine. And our customers love them as well!
Apple Watch is an exciting new product and we are at the start of a very exciting time at Apple. You’re the best team on earth and you are doing an amazing job.
For customers who want to buy a watch, please continue to help them place their order online. Also make sure they know that, wherever they buy, Apple will provide them with a great Personal Setup experience – either online or in our stores. This includes syncing their Apple Watch with their iPhone and teaching them about all the incredible features of their new Apple Watch.
Thank you very much again, and I look forward to seeing you soon.
Best always,
Angela