5 Reasons Why Customers Avoid Shopping At The Apple Store

Shopping in a physical Apple Store has always been about a unique customer experience. From the moment you enter the business, you'd get precise information regarding a product, and a very helpful and kind consultant would be ready to make you familiar with the Apple devices, while also being genuinely interested in how you're doing and your experience with Apple in general.

However, this has changed in recent years. Not only did Apple become a lot bigger than it was in the 2000s, but the company started to prioritize online shopping. According to customers, it's almost impossible to buy in a physical Apple Store, because one isn't available in their cities, it might be more expensive than third-party stores, and more.

A lot about the shopping experience changed when Apple CEO Tim Cook hired Angela Ahrendts, a big executive from luxurious brands, to take care of the retail business. In a short period, Angela was responsible for transitioning the stores from just a place where customers would go to buy products to an actual experience of the Apple philosophy. You could hang out by a tree, watch a "Today At Apple" session, and make the store more like a meeting point. After she retired in 2019, Deirdre O'Brien became responsible for this section, and immediately started to switch back the Apple Store experience. Still, something got lost in the middle, as customers haven't been happy with either Ahrendts or O'Brien.

If you ever tried to go to an Apple Store during the holiday season, you probably got overwhelmed. The stores are completely packed, and even if you know what you want to buy, you might have to make an appointment to purchase the product, or you might have to wait a good half an hour. The same happens during big release moments, and some customers have compared shopping at an Apple Store to waiting in line at the DMV.

I remember going with my friends to the Regent Street's Apple Store in London near the end of November, and my friend having to wait 45 minutes to buy Apple's recently-released polishing cloth. On other occasions, I also remember the incredible wait time to just buy a band for the Apple Watch, because the store would be so packed, and people working there were so overwhelmed with the amount of people asking questions, taking their products to repair, and more.

In these situations, it's not unusual for customers to decide not to wait to buy a product they already have in hand, and just go somewhere else. After all, whether it's the holidays or you're just walking to a store, you want to be able to buy your gear as fast as possible and move on with your life.

For the early years of the iPhone and iPad, people would stay in line and even sleep in front of Apple Store locations to be the ones to get the new product before anyone else. The media would also cover stories about those Apple evangelists being the first to get the latest iPhone, and suddenly dropping it on the floor. One of the biggest contributions of Angela Ahrendt, which in a way also worsened the experience of buying in person, is that Apple started to prioritize pickup products bought online rather than people trying their chances on release day.

That way, Apple understands how many iPhones it actually needs to ship to a location, and users can go at a specific time and know for sure in just a few minutes they'll have their new product in hand. But that also makes the shopping experience a lot more informal, as you just buy it online, select your local Apple Store, pickup the product, and go home.

Worse yet, that means that if you weren't able to be fast enough when selecting a new iPhone, iPad, or Mac online, there's a big chance you could walk into the Apple Store on day one and not find a product available, because Apple is now prioritizing pickups instead of regular shopping.

Apple rarely gives discounts on its products. At certain times of the year, the company might offer a "Back to School" deal, which might include a gift card with enough value for you to get a pair of AirPods. Considering that, customers might not feel inclined to pay the full price of a product like the Apple TV 4K, with the latest model having been updated more than three years ago.

On the other hand, if you go to Amazon, Best Buy, Target, and other stores, there's a great chance you'll be able to find your next Apple product at a good discount, even the latest ones. That said, what could still entice customers to go to an Apple Store, or shop online, is that Apple will always offer all the possible configurations, which can be especially useful when buying a new Mac. For other marketplaces, there's a possibility that the offering might be limited to specific storage and RAM options, and even colors.

If you want a specific model, the Apple Store might still be your safest bet. However, if getting a good deal is your priority, another store might be the better option, especially during Black Friday and other weeks focused on shopping.

Sometimes you might want to shop at an Apple Store because you like the experience, you want to find a specific model, or something in between. However, you might not live close to one. In the U.S., Apple has a few hundred stores across the country, still, it's not rare to hear someone saying their closest Apple Store is an hour, three hours, or even more away from their homes.

In Brazil, for example, you only have two physical stores: One in São Paulo and another one in Rio de Janeiro. If you're not from those cities, then you'll be left with third-party authorized resellers, which don't offer the same experience you'd expect from an Apple Store, or you'd have to buy your new product online. Since Apple doesn't have as many physical stores as its customers would want, it means that most of them are left behind with third-party resellers or just general stores like Best Buy, FNAC, Target, and other chains that might offer Apple products.

With that in mind, not having a store around, and needing to travel long distances to possibly not even find the product they want makes shopping at an Apple Store an unappealing option. For example, I remember buying an iPhone in Los Angeles and setting it to pickup in the store. Apple messed up my order and I ended up staying two hours in traffic to not get my new phone. Shopping elsewhere would've been the smarter choice.

It might be controversial, but one thing Apple customers enjoyed the most about Apple Stores is that consultants wouldn't push products to them (after all, customers would already be pushing new devices to themselves). This has changed lately, as even when you're making a big purchase, like an iPhone Pro, a big iPad, or the latest MacBook Pro, Apple employees will start to ask you about add-ons: Do you want a better charger? What about AppleCare+? Do you know about the Apple One subscription? What about Apple Music? Do you need this case, this cable, or MagSafe accessory?

While these extra devices and experiences can indeed improve the usage of a new product, Apple customers weren't used to consultants actively trying to sell them more. Back in the day, employees of Apple Stores didn't have sales goals, as the main objective would be giving a good experience to the customer, whether they have a question, want to update a product, or just see what's new in store.

Now, some customers leave Apple Stores thinking that they might not be getting all the information they need, the stores are just too crowded, and the experience wasn't what it used to be. With that, it seems online shopping has become the best option for Apple customers.