Apple Watch Expands to John Lewis and Currys Stores in the United Kingdom

I've had nothing but dreadful customer service and after sales support from Currys/PC World. Please, if you're wanting to buy an Apple Watch (or anything else to be honest) go somewhere else.

John Lewis and Currys cover very different demographics. I guess it makes obvious business sense for Apple, but feels kinda weird seeing those two brands mentioned together…

For context, Currys is where that John Browett guy came from, the one with (thankfully) a very short stint as the Apple head of retail. John Lewis on the other hand, they're a very respected retailer known for truly excellent customer service — a lot of people recommend buying Apple gear from them instead of an Apple Store, because they provide an additional year's warranty for free.

You seem to indicate in this article that the Apple Watch is out in Ireland.. It is not, we don't have the Apple Watch anywhere here. Yes currys is in Ireland but the Apple Watch isn't. (Do I sound p*ssed off and annoyed? Yes cos I am, it's so annoying that Apple doesn't release the Apple watch here! WHY? Every iPhone and iPad comes out here within weeks of launch but months and months later still nothing.)

...not to mention that Apple have offices in Cork, Ireland....

('https://www.macrumors.com/2015/09/14/apple-watch-expands-united-kingdom/')


After being sold at a few high-end ('https://www.macrumors.com/2015/02/19/apple-watch-parisian-store/') boutiques ('https://www.macrumors.com/2015/03/01/apple-watch-selfridges-shop/') around the United Kingdom in the Spring, it was recently announced that the Apple Watch would begin hitting some more mainstream UK-based department stores, including John Lewis (via Wareable ('http://www.wareable.com/apple-watch/john-lewis-stores-uk-1669')) and Currys. Besides the high-end locations, prior to this announcement the only place for UK customers to purchase an Apple Watch was in an Apple Store.



Currys' impending sale of the Apple Watch was discovered in late August ('https://www.macrumors.com/2015/08/28/currys-pc-world-apple-watch-sales-uk/'), but no specific date was known at the time. With the announcement of the Apple Watch coming to John Lewis department stores, it appears that Apple's new wearable will launch at both locations on the same day, September 18. Thirty-seven of John Lewis' forty-four stores in the UK will be getting the Apple Watch, with four more confirming availability by Christmas.
Currys is a bit more proliferated in the UK than John Lewis, with 295 superstores and 73 high street stores located in both the United Kingdom and Ireland. Both John Lewis and Currys will also provide online support for Apple Watch sales, with Currys letting customers put in a pre-order for the device ('http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/apple-smart-tech/smart-tech/smart-watches-and-fitness/smart-watches/551_4338_31984_267_xx/xx-criteria.html') on their website right now. As of writing, the John Lewis website just has a simple placeholder page ('http://internal/tab?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.johnlewis.com%2Felectricals%2Fapple%2Ffind-out-more-about-apple-watch%2Fc9200800064%3Frdr%3D1%26intcmp%3Deht_brand_Apple_Banner_Watch_100915&referrer=about%3Ablank&target=_blank') with information for customers about the new device.

The expansion of the Apple Watch has been growing since its launch in April, with Best Buy stores now widely selling the device -- and even AppleCare ('http://internal/tab?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.macrumors.com%2F2015%2F08%2F17%2Fbest-buy-applecare-september-13%2F&referrer=about%3Ablank&target=_blank') and a few of its accessories -- in the United States ('http://internal/tab?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.macrumors.com%2F2015%2F08%2F25%2Fbest-buy-accelerating-apple-watch%2F&referrer=about%3Ablank&target=_blank') and Canada ('http://internal/tab?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.macrumors.com%2F2015%2F08%2F14%2Fapple-watch-harvey-norman-australia%2F&referrer=about%3Ablank&target=_blank'). Fnac locations in France also began selling the Apple Watch ('http://internal/tab?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.macrumors.com%2F2015%2F08%2F20%2Fapple-watch-expands-france%2F&referrer=about%3Ablank&target=_blank') in late August. The recent confirmation of John Lewis and Currys locations joining in the support of selling the wearable device on September 18 will come just two days after the release of watchOS 2 ('http://internal/tab?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.macrumors.com%2F2015%2F09%2F09%2Fwatchos2-release-date-apple-watch%2F&referrer=about%3Ablank&target=_blank'), as well.

Article Link: Apple Watch Expands to John Lewis and Currys Stores in the United Kingdom ('http://internal/tab?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.macrumors.com%2F2015%2F09%2F14%2Fapple-watch-expands-united-kingdom%2F&referrer=about%3Ablank&target=_blank')

It seems to me that if Apple wants to sell more watches, rather than put it in more locations, they need to drop the price of this iPhone accessory down to $99 or so so it can be an impulse buy.

For $350, it needs to be an independent standalone device with a cellular radio.

Well then I'm confused. Why wouldn't Apple sell the watch in stores where it already sells other Apple products? OK maybe it won't come to Walmart but places like Best Buy and Currys don't surprise me at all. What's the equivalent to John Lewis in the US? Is it more Nordstrom or Bergdoff Goodman/Barneys?

I'd say John Lewis is a step above Macy's in the U.S. It's not as high end as Bergdoff Goodman (that's Selfridge's).

Do Apple UK have a clue what they're doing?

John Lewis I get, but Currys/PC World?

Did they learn nothing from John Browett???