Apple Store EasyPay Online Ordering brings shipment options to retail sales

A problem with visiting any store is that if a product is out of stock, the salesperson may lose the sale entirely if there's no way to offer customers an alternative order method. In a change rolling out in early August, Apple Store staff will be given just such an option.

According to a memo sent to retail employees seen by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the EasyPay Online Ordering program will allow store staff to sell products and ship them to customers directly, using their EasyPay point-of-sale machines.

"We want all our customers to leave the store with exactly what they came for," reads the memo. "With a single bag transaction, you'll have the option of different fulfillment methods, like shipping or personalizing a product."

It is currently possible for sales to be made where shipping or personalization is involved, but it is usually by directing customers to place an online store order using an in-store Mac or iPad. Under the change, the order can instead be made directly via the EasyPay POS by the employee.

For stores, this reduces the chance of losing the sale of out-of-stock products by avoiding making the customer do the ordering through the online store, a process they could do at home. Consumers also benefit, since there's an opportunity to have bulky items paid in the store but to get delivered to their home, saving them from carrying it.

Gurman reasons that the change may also be part of a plan to reduce stock and rely more on shipping for some smaller stores. For the Apple Vision Pro, since there is a lot of customization options for the headset, using this process could allow out-of-stock accessories to be shipped, without the customer walking out from a $3,500 sale over a missing element they want.