AppleInsider Staff
Electronics retailer Best Buy on Tuesday announced a substantial expansion of its partnership with Apple, a move that will include hundreds of new Apple Watch points of sale as well as a larger Apple presence in Best Buy stores.
Best Buy's Apple Watch rollout will expand from its current 100-store footprint to include all 1,050 outlets by the end of September, Best Buy chief executive Hubert Joly revealed during the company's quarterly earnings call. The Apple Watch hit Best Buy shelves earlier this month.
"Demand for Apple Watch has been so strong in the stores and online," Joly said, as noted by Fortune.
Changes are also coming to the retailer's dedicated in-store Apple shops. Some 740 of the outlets are being updated with new fixtures and a more expansive display area, with work expected to be complete at 520 locations in time for the holiday season.
Another area of extended cooperation comes in after-sales service and support. Best Buy will be allowed to sell AppleCare and AppleCare+ plans alongside Apple hardware before the holidays begin, a change one source told AppleInsider would begin on Sept. 13.
In addition, Joly said a pilot program that will see 50 Best Buy outlets become Apple Authorized Service Provider locations is underway.
Marko Zivkovic
Wesley Hilliard
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34 Comments
But...but...but...Apple Watch is a failure and nobody's buying them.
No one wants it indeed. Ha. Well at least an echo on the demand that isn't from Apple. Maybe detractors will shut it up for a bit...
That's good news to hear AW is doing well.
[quote name="Lymf" url="/t/187860/apple-best-buy-alliance-grows-with-more-apple-watch-locations-expanded-in-store-service#post_2765635"]No one wants it indeed. Ha. Well at least an echo on the demand that isn't from Apple. Maybe detractors will shut it up for a bit...[/quote] Nah, check out some of the posts on MacRumors. For the haters there is no data that would shut them up. some are wondering how BB measures demand. I guess they've never heard of the word "sales"?
Doomed watch to expand sales at doomed retailer. /s