Stores and Apple Watch
The challenge of selling Apple Watch illustrates their foundational nature. Apple Watch is technology combined with jewelry, a product that must be experienced to be fully understood.
Jewelers, however, are unequipped to sell technology, and technology retailers are unequipped to sell jewelry. But because Apple has its own stores, the company can redesign them to sell a product that’s a combination of both.
Without Apple Stores, there would be no place to properly experience the Watch, so it would have a far smaller chance of success. Apple Stores are a crucial foundation for Apple Watch — and Apple’s competitors have nothing truly comparable.
The value of Apple Stores can not be overstated. As Matt mentions, Apple is able to customize the try-on and shopping experience in the best way they see fit. And since this is a hybrid technology and fashion product, trying to get a retailer to do what you want would be much more difficult.
This is why Android Wear watches will continue to struggle in retail. They’re either going to be treated as gadgets and put on a shelf at Best Buy or if they’re treated like jewelry, they’ll be virtually indistinguishable from all the other watches in the case. Additionally, I don’t imagine that sales associates will know much about Android Wear, making it a very odd experience.