Filed under: Retail, Odds and ends, iPhone
Behold, the iQueue
What do you do when you've got a pre-queue queue downstairs, then an actual queue proper upstairs? There's a lot of tired people involved, and twice as many tired legs. The answer, of course, is the iQueue. Dozens of plastic chairs brought in solely for the comfort of your customers' backsides.
This pic was snapped in the London Regents Street Apple Store on Thursday afternoon as a great many people wait for their chance to buy an iPhone. Photographer Chris Mac Morrison was less than impressed.
"I'll wait until waiting time is less than 10 mins before i hand over any cash," he told us. Good plan.
Thanks to Mac for the pic.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Le Big Mac said 5:19PM on 7-18-2008
The sales/distribution approach that apple has adopted has to be one of the worst ever. Apparently it's not costing them sales, but good grief--there should not be lines like this a week after a product goes on sale. It's just incompetent.
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Andrew said 7:40PM on 7-18-2008
Au contraire, waiting in line is the perfect marketing tool for Apple. Not only does it create a lot of attention in the media, it gives the buyers an incredible sense of exclusivity and "community". A sense of belonging to something is incredibly powerful, it's like saying "don't you want to be with the in crowd?". There's a reason all premium brands have "clubs", ever own a BMW or Mercedes?
And what is more important is the sense of personal accomplishment and again status. Your protest adds to it. Why is the product that remarkable, you and everyone else [not in line] asks. Ah, mystery, sexy marketing.
Heck, you even have bragging rights! And you will want to tell your friends all about your wait! Does it get any better for Apple? Word of mouth marketing *and* prime time exposure.
There's a reason Apple's profits are going up and up. I understand it and I'm just a law student/programmer.
Ryan said 5:45PM on 7-18-2008
I just got back from the Apple Store here in Salt Lake and there was a line, inside and out of people waiting. A lot more than what waited for the original iPhone...
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simon said 5:54PM on 7-18-2008
Well we've always said, if there's a nation that knows how to queue it's us Brit's
4 tills, not barriers and you can garuntee we'll very quietly, and politley (that's key), have set up 1 line for all 4
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eric f. said 8:53AM on 7-19-2008
I thought it was only in the US that activation was required at the time of purchase...
The Reez said 5:56PM on 7-18-2008
I love the pic. I wrote about a similar incident in LA CA. People were standing in line, under umbrellas, on their iphones waiting for the new one. check out the pic.http://www.thegluttony.com/2008/07/recession-proof/
www.thegluttony.com
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Basye said 6:39PM on 7-18-2008
Is that your blog? You need an editor before you hit submit.
The Reez said 8:00PM on 7-18-2008
editing is not my strength. Maybe you can be my editor? you can reach me at info@thegluttony.com
The reez
jon said 5:56PM on 7-18-2008
Wow. Fascinating article.
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Randy said 5:57PM on 7-18-2008
"...a great many people wait for their *change* to buy an iPhone."
I wouldn't know this personally since I don't own one (yet.) But is owning an iPhone is a life changing experience?
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Giles Turnbull said 6:46PM on 7-18-2008
Thanks for spotting that. Fixed now.
Ryan Trevisol said 5:58PM on 7-18-2008
I was hoping for a Blockbuster queue app when I read this on my iGoogle.
ps-I waited maybe 20 minutes for my iPhone 3G.
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Nick said 6:02PM on 7-18-2008
Where's the tea? Don't tell me they weren't serving tea. What kind of savages run that place?
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riccardo said 6:07AM on 7-19-2008
it's just because it was not 5 o'clock PM
Anna Feruglio Dal Dan said 8:34AM on 7-20-2008
Yes, that was what I said as well. If it wasn't for the air conditioning they should have gone through the queue with bottled water. As it was, very apologetic Apple people went up and down keeping people company, although one of them looked scarily alarmed when I pointed out that I had brought my vial of blood for the DNA test.
Yesterday (Saturday), three hours, finally got my iPhone. There were actually about a dozen, maybe more Specialists selling iPhones, but the whole process was RIDICOLOUSLY long (and yes, they were using VMFusion). When I finally got to my very nice Specialist I told him, and we got to the point where O2 wanted to know my marital status, I said, "I just don't BELIEVE this." He sadly said: "Welcome to the club".
I don't see how they can deal reasonably with that procedure even when the number of people wanting an iPhone has gone down considerably. It took us something like half an hour to buy the very basic plan, and I had brought three pieces of proof of address plus driving licence and two credit card (the first was declined).
I doubt Apple can keep a whole half of their floor space cordoned off and twelve people dedicated just to dell iPhone all day. This is crazy. I pointed out to my seller that somebody at O2 must have got A Phone Call from Jobs last Friday. He said, I sure hope so.
apeguero said 6:23PM on 7-18-2008
I wonder if the number of people that planned to wait a week for the craze to die down a bit outnumbered the "I must have my iPhone now" crowd from last Friday.
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Dom said 6:36PM on 7-18-2008
Completely bizarre.
I just walked into a Carphone Warehouse, picked up an iPhone and walked out within 10 minutes. These people are either stupid or just like queuing.
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DJCarbon43 said 6:57PM on 7-18-2008
I suspect its the latter ;)
Stuart said 9:29AM on 7-19-2008
I really don't understand this either. They could just order one online and have it delivered. My bro did that, it arrived in two days from Carphone Warehouse. These people really must be moronic. Even if there's a shortage in London, they could just take a train out of the city and it would be quicker.
junk_mail77 said 6:50PM on 7-18-2008
Chairs?! They get chairs?! and it's inside?! What?! Like, with a roof?! and airconditioning?! We may have won our independence, but those Brits now how do a queue right!
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