Apple and the Shopping Experience

MKT 301 C
11 April 2016
Alon Hemsani

Apple and the shopping experience

The shopping experience has become the most important differentiating factor for retail companies. These days, retailers need to offer their customers the best possible customer service as well as ensure a smooth transition between shopping on the Internet and in the store if they want to provide a unique shopping experience and resulting customer retention to ultimately increase sales. The different firms need to remember that we, the costumers, are motivated by our feelings. This is the key. How we will feel when we enter to a store? When we buy? When we waiting for checkout and for our delivery to come? Retailers are rewarded when shoppers tell others about their experience. People’s expectations are pretty high. It’s easy to (fall short of those expectations), and hard to eclipse (bad experiences, even) with something that’s over-the-top. Brand experience includes store design and atmosphere, consistently great product quality, making customers feel they’re special and the sense that customers always get a deal. For example, one of the best way to lay the foundation for customers to have great retail experiences is for store owners to hire and train staff who are able to take basic information about shopper preferences and convert that knowledge to customized service. 

In our case, we will take Apple stores and Apple online shop as our example. Apple is the world's largest IT Company by revenue and total assets, and the world's second-largest mobile phone manufacturer. While earning 300,000$ per minute, Apple has more than 115,000 employees all over the world. Apple have 475 retail stores in 17 countries. When we consider the stores, far from what we had expect from a massive consumer goods retailer; people actually seem to be enjoying themselves in the stores and are eager to come back. Apple controls its brand message and experience within its stores. The result is a unique brand engagement that’s a win for both the Apple name and the consumer. This is exactly the experience Apple intends. Apple has largely been successful in creating an in-store shopping experience that’s as simple, dynamic, and stress-free as a visit to its online store. While brick-and-mortar retailers are seemingly shutting their doors left and right, Apple stores seem to keep popping up around the world. Apple Make it easy for customers to view and access all products each Apple store has hundreds of gadgets in it, but as soon as you walk in, you can easily spot what you’re looking for. You know where to go to play with the new iPad Mini, read the product specs and test it out. All gadgets are functional, turned on, fully charged and demos loaded on the devices deliver great content. Apple also Simplify and streamline transactions. Any Apple store employee can help a customer complete their transaction via their mobile point-of-sale (POS) device from anywhere on the floor. No lines, no waiting, just real-time transactions. Despite well-intentioned methods to streamline the online retail experience, it can still be strenuous and overly complicated. Consumers don’t want your last-minute add-ons and no, they don’t want to pay $4,000 for guaranteed next-day shipping. They want to buy what they came for and do it with as few clicks as possible. The Apple store isn’t the typical retail dichotomy where the customer is on the floor and the employees sit behind checkout stands. From the Genius Bar to the slew of blue-shirted employees available on the retail floor, the experience is that of a community. The community even extends to other customers shopping in the store with you; how many times have you engaged in conversation about a product with other customers trying out the latest gadgets? The online retail experience should hold the same community elements; help should only be a click away, expert forums should be readily available, and both your insights as the brand and customer reviews should be easily found. The experience online is also different in that aspect. In the online store, there is no community, the feeling is lonelier. What is missing also at the online store, is the option of getting used personally by a stuff. The fact is that it is easier to be accepted to Harvard University, then getting a job in Apple store. This fact show us that Apple is determined to supply the best customer service by hire skilled and professional stuff. Apple managers understand that the human part of all experience of shopping have the biggest influence. Apple stores are well-maintained, clean, easy to navigate, and the products are clearly labeled. I think that the online experience should mirror this simplicity: no banner ads or pop-up windows, just a clean, slick interface that puts the products front and center. The online experience lacking and a little bit behind in this issue. Finally, Apple enable customers to do more than just buy your products at an Apple store, you can set up and activate your phone with various carriers, like Verizon or AT&T. By looping in external vendors, Apple even enables consumers to get their MacBook diagnosed and fixed, giving you the opportunity to just talk shop with anyone working the floor. Online retailers should enable visitors to engage with the site in a dynamic way, ultimately encouraging them to spend more time with the brand by reading product reviews, engaging with fan communities, or unlocking premium content and deals. This how Apple is making the shopping experience unique. It is true that there is differences between shopping in the regular store or in the online store. However, those issues are the cause for the dominant of Apple in the Market.