Apple is to use its retail stores to push iPhone sales higher and combat Google’s Android platform, according to 9to5 Mac, which cited a summit in San Francisco for Apple’s retail store leaders, at which Tim Cook spoke.
Cook reportedly spoke to Apple’s Retail Store Leaders for approximately three hours. During this time, Cook expressed satisfaction with the way Macs and iPads have been selling via Apple Stores, so he placed those two products on a figurative “back-burner” during his talk, according to two sources. One out of every four Macs sold across the globe are bought from an Apple Retail Store, Cook praised, but the Apple CEO noted his dissatisfaction that approximately 80% of all iPhones are not purchased from an Apple Store.
Despite the fact that Apple still hasn’t replaced John Browett as senior VP of retail, Cook feels that the stores should have a higher share of iPhone sales. In order to achieve that, the company is planning incentives for customers and retail store staff. Cook also hinted at a trade-in programme for iPhones.
MAcRumors reported that store leaders who were at the summit said that they were told Apple had an ‘army of new products’ lined up for later in the year. Those are expected to include a new iPad and iPhone, an additional, lower cost iPhone, new MacBook Pros, and the Mac Pro which was previewed at WWDC.
