Best Buy Unlikely to Carry Apple Watch at Launch

bestbuy.jpgBest Buy may not carry the Apple Watch when the wrist-worn device launches in April, according to Reuters. The report, citing sources with direct knowledge of the matter, corroborates speculation that Apple might control the Apple Watch sales experience, at least initially, by limiting the product to Apple Stores.

Apple has been training its retail employees to deliver a more personalized shopping experience, as many customers will want to try on the various watch editions, faces and bands to determine which is best for them. Given that, it would make sense that Best Buy, and possibly other authorized resellers such as Walmart, Target and Sam's Club, might not immediately sell the Apple Watch.

While large fashion retailers such as Bloomingdale's and Saks Fifth Avenue in the United States confirmed no immediate plans to carry the Apple Watch, multiple high-end department stores in Europe will be showcasing the smartwatch when it launches. Last month, for example, sources told us that Apple is planning an Apple Watch pop-up shop at Selfridges in London near the iconic 19,000-square-foot Wonder Room. French department store Galeries Lafayette is also setting up an Apple Watch display in Paris.

"Other large retailers, including Macy's, Saks 5th Avenue, Bloomingdales and Barney's said they had no immediate plans to carry the watch. Target and Nordstrom,along with all the major phone carriers, declined to comment on their plans, though a source with knowledge of the situation said Nordstrom has engaged in discussions with Apple."

Apple is expected to provide further details about the Apple Watch during today's "Spring Forward" media event. The keynote begins at 10 AM Pacific with a live video stream available on Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple TV. MacRumors will also have full coverage of the event, with a live blog on our front page, news coverage and updates going out on our @MacRumorsLive Twitter account. Also follow and participate in the conversation in our discussion forums.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch 10
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Neutral)

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro 34ths Perspective

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 10 New Features

Sunday March 23, 2025 10:00 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of March 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
macbook pro blue green

When Will Apple Release the M5 MacBook Pro?

Wednesday March 26, 2025 4:53 pm PDT by
Apple regularly refreshes the MacBook Pro models, and a new version that uses M5 series chips is in the works. Apple just finished refreshing most of the Mac lineup with M4 chips, and now it's time for the M5. Rumors suggest that we could see the first M5 MacBook Pro models this fall. Design There have been no rumors of a design update for the M5 MacBook Pro models that are coming this...
Apple Lumon Terminal Pro

Apple's Mac Site Features Fictional 'Lumon Terminal Pro'

Wednesday March 26, 2025 12:19 pm PDT by
Apple is going all out with promotions for the popular Severance Apple TV+ show today, and as of right now, you'll find a new "Lumon Terminal Pro" listed on Apple's Mac site. The Lumon Terminal Pro is designed to look similar to the machines that Severance employees like Mark S. and Helly R. use for macrodata refinement. The Terminal features a blue keyboard, a small display with wide...
Facebook Feature

Facebook's New iPhone App Feature Turns the Clock Back to 2007

Thursday March 27, 2025 1:59 pm PDT by
In the mid-to-late 2000s, Facebook was all about staying connected with friends and family. However, as the social media platform added new features and grew over time, that core experience began to get drowned out. That changes starting now, according to Meta, which today introduced a new feature that will "bring back the joy" of classic Facebook. Specifically, Meta has redesigned the...
Generic iOS 18

iOS 18.4 Coming Soon With These New Features for Your iPhone

Tuesday March 25, 2025 6:45 am PDT by
Apple is expected to release iOS 18.4 to the general public as soon as next week, following more than a month of beta testing. Apple's website says some iOS 18.4 features will be released in "early April," so the update should be out as early as Tuesday, April 1. Apple this week seeded the iOS 18.4 Release Candidate, which is typically the final beta version, barring the discovery of any...
iPhone 17 Pro 34ths Perspective

iPhone 17 Pro Supports 8K Video Recording, Suggests Leaker [Updated]

Wednesday March 26, 2025 4:06 am PDT by
Update 7:25 pm: Based on comments from our forums, it appears the original Weibo post may have been mistranslated and "8K" actually refers to the high price of the device rather than 8K video recording capabilities. The iPhone 16 Pro currently starts at 7,999 yuan in China. Our original article follows below. Apple's forthcoming iPhone 17 Pro models are capable of shooting 8K video, up...
iOS 18

iOS 18.4 Expected Next Week - Here Are the Release Notes

Friday March 28, 2025 2:01 pm PDT by
With the second release candidate of iOS 18.4 that Apple seeded out today, the company finally provided us with release notes that give a full rundown on what to expect. There's an Apple Vision Pro app, new Apple Intelligence features for notifications and additional language support, plus an Apple News Food feature for Apple News+ subscribers, and several updates that should improve the...
iOS 18 4 Ambient Music Control Center

How to Use iOS 18.4's New Ambient Music Feature in Control Center

Thursday March 27, 2025 7:45 am PDT by
The upcoming iOS 18.4 update for the iPhone adds an Ambient Music feature to Control Center. Below, we take a closer look at how it works. iOS 18.4 is currently in beta, so the Ambient Music feature is not widely available yet. The update will likely be released to the general public next week. To use the feature on iOS 18.4, open Control Center and tap on the plus sign in the top-left...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature 1

'iPhone Fold' to Feature Metallic Glass Hinge That Resists Deformation

Thursday March 27, 2025 4:21 am PDT by
Last week, we covered a report claiming that Apple's book-style foldable iPhone (or "iPhone Fold," as we are provisionally calling it here) will use liquid metal hinges to improve durability and help minimize screen creasing. Today, a Chinese leaker provided more details on the properties of this hinge material that help to clarify why Apple chose it for its first foldable device. According...

Top Rated Comments

phillipduran Avatar
131 months ago
Sounds like they are going full on hype mode. Restrict supply. Create the image of high demand. This whole thing has stink all over it. :rolleyes:
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
gigapocket1 Avatar
131 months ago
I don't think any of us is shocked at this news
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Derekuda Avatar
131 months ago
I can't wait until this stupid watch launches and in 6 month the hype dies down and suddenly people realize how ultimately useless smart watches are. I had Android Wear and can tell you first hand the "new" factor wears off extremely fast. By the end of the first week its just another device you constantly have to remember to charge every night that sucks down your phones battery life due to the constant connection. Give it 6 months and these things will be piled up in pawn shops.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mcdspncr Avatar
131 months ago
Sounds like they are going full on hype mode. Restrict supply. Create the image of high demand. This whole thing has stink all over it. :rolleyes:

Right... And if/when Apple sells a car I bet they won't sell that in Best Buy either. It couldn't be that different products are better suited to different retail settings. It's just to fake high demand and because of the "stink" right?
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
69Mustang Avatar
131 months ago
... However, given the Apple Watch is more personal, allowing customers to try it on, and try on different band styles will be needed in most cases. I know, I will want to try one before I buy one.

It's a very different buying experience and hats off to Apple for recognizing this and not just stuffing the channel with product until their channel is properly trained.

It's a smartwatch. People in BB, Walmart, and other retailers have been selling them for years. There is no different buying experience. Find one you like, try it on, and buy it. Just like every other product.

I would imagine small items & this level of value would be attractive to thieves... or even tempt minimum wage employees to become such.

Those stores have carried small items of higher value for years. A watch is not going to make employees lose their minds. If they attept to steal a watch, chances are they were already stealing other stuff. Minus the edition watch, the majority of the line is most likely under $700.

Right... And if/when Apple sells a car I bet they won't sell that in Best Buy either. It couldn't be that different products are better suited to different retail settings. It's just to fake high demand and because of the "stink" right?

It's a smartwatch. It doesn't need a special retail setting. Apple is smart marketing their watch this way. It makes it seem as if it's special; something to be desired. At the end of the day it's still just a watch.

----------

Use the Apple Store as your Amazon showroom?

I've done that plenty. Like the store, but never bought anything in it. 99% of the time, better pricing can be had elsewhere.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Wild-Bill Avatar
131 months ago
Best Buy sucks anyway.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)