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“Is it also possible that Browett’s experience at Dixons, and before that Tesco (the world’s third largest retailer) might just be right what Apple needs as it continues on its path towards world domination?”

We, and pretty much the rest of the blogosphere were, shall we say, slightly bewildered when Apple announced its new SVP of Retail, John Browett.

Browett is, at first glance, an unusual hire because the retail organization he is leaving seems to be the exact opposite of what Apple stands for. He was the CEO of Dixons, the well known British technology retailer.

Big box retailers couldn’t be further from Apple’s model of clean, spacious, bright and minimalistic. Apple employees always want to help, knowing that when you are in their store you have already chosen their brand. They are highly service-oriented. Big box sales staff are all about making the sale. They couldn’t care less what brand of TV you jam into your SUV after you slip the cashier your credit card.

Apple also has a tradition for promoting from within. So it begs the question, “Why did Tim Cook make this decision?”

It’s easy to criticize, but let’s remember that if we are outsiders to this decision. We haven’t seen Tim Cook as the face behind too many senior hires at Apple, but it’s safe to say that he’s very experienced hiring and firing. You don’t hold the COO position in any company without lots of people management experience.

So while it might seem like his old home of Dixons is the polar opposite of what Apple stands for, could we be guilty of looking only at the cover of the book (or the inside of the store)?

The aspect of this hire that intrigues me the most is that Apple is getting a guy with big company CEO experience. The Apple retail business can easily be thought of as a separate company. It requires inventory, sales staff, and a service organization. It requires growth plans.

And what makes running a big box retailer so difficult? Margins, pricing strategy and competition. Well guess what? Browett doesn’t need to worry about those problems. Those are Cook’s problems. Browett just needs to use his CEO skills to keep the ship moving in the right direction.

I don’t think Cook is looking to Browett for sales innovation.

Apple is already in excellent shape after 11 years of retail leadership under Ron Johnson. Apple has top-shelf problems to deal with such as how to open more stores faster (and in new markets) without screwing up the shopping experience.

There’s no question Apple has room to grow in its retail store lineup. As of the most recent financial results, Apple generated $3.5 billion in store sales, which is only 12.7% of total company sales. To me this suggests Browett’s job is more about growing the existing business and generating upside for Apple. The downside of him performing poorly is probably not something I’m interested in seeing happen, but as a shareholder this is far from my biggest worry.

Is it weird that Tim Cook is bringing in a Dixons guy? Yeah. But is it also possible that Browett’s experience at Dixons, and before that Tesco (the world’s third largest retailer) might just be right what Apple needs as it continues on its path towards world domination? Yeah. It might.

Since at least 2004, Apple has offered a rebate program that has typically offered users a $100 rebate when they purchase a new Mac and an eligible printer directly from Apple. The program was typically offered as a three-month program that was consistently renewed upon expiration, although in recent years the company shifted toward a perpetual program while reserving the right to discontinue it at any time.


It now appears that Apple has discontinued the program entirely, as retail sources have indicated to both MacRumors and 9to5Mac that Apple has ended the program as of today. From a notice to staff members:

Printer Rebates Ending on January 17

Effective Tuesday, January 17, the printer rebate will no longer be offered.

Monday, January 16 will be the last day customers can get a rebate on a qualifying printer when purchased with a Mac. Customers will have 90 days from the date of purchase to submit rebate claims. An additional 30 days will be given to correct invalid claims.

The Apple Retail Store and the Apple Online Store will continue to sell printers, albeit without a rebate offer.

U.S. and CA only: Wednesday, May 16 is the last day the online Apple Rebate Tool will be available to submit rebates. Customers should submit their claims according to the terms of the promotion.

Apple previously offered a number of rebate programs on various products, but with the discontinuation of the printer rebate program, it appears that the company has eliminated rebates entirely. iWork and MobileMe rebates disappeared in April 2011, and the company had previously offered rebates on the products such as Mac OS X and iLife combination purchases, Mac OS and Microsoft Office combination purchases, and others. Apple previous Back to School rebate program has also been replaced with an iTunes Store/Mac App Store gift card.


Apple continues to offer several printers as optional add-ons when configuring a new Mac in the online store, specifically promoting AirPrint-compatible models, but the printers are being offered at regular retail prices with no promotional rebates or other discounts.

Following Wednesday's media preview event, Apple's massive new retail store in Manhattan's Grand Central Terminal opened to the public today at 10:00 AM. As noted by Fortune, the main concourse of the terminal was filled with hundreds of people waiting for the store to open as hundreds more red-shirted Apple employees prepared to welcome them.


As is traditional for Apple retail store openings, the company is handing out store-specific T-shirts to early visitors. Fortune notes that Apple has prepared to hand out 4,000 T-shirts for today's opening.

With Apple hosting a media preview of its massive new Grand Central Terminal store in Manhattan today, the company continues to reveal the landmark store to the public. Business Insider has posted a few photos showing that the curtains have been removed from main entrance stairway and balcony railing, giving the store its finished appearance from the concourse.


Main entrance (Source: Business Insider)
Apple's exterior signage for the store's main entrance consists of lighted Apple logos mounted on glass panels on each of the two landings for the main stairway, with a third lighted Apple logo mounted above the top of the stairs. Interior photos show that Apple has placed its stock on the sales floor, filling the numerous wood tables with Apple hardware for customers to test out.


Genius Bar and display tables (Source: Business Insider)
techfootnote posts a few additional photos and notes that free Wi-Fi courtesy of Apple has gone live on the concourse.


Store employees in red shirts on sales floor (Source: NPD's Ross Rubin)
Apple's Grand Central Terminal store will open to the public at 10:00 AM on Friday.

Update: Apple has just published a press release announcing the official opening for the store, touting the "one-of-a-kind" store spanning two balconies and offering two Genius Bars. The company also promotes new 15-minute "Express Workshops" to help users on tight schedules learn new tips and tricks.

The Apple Store® Grand Central, Apple’s fifth store in Manhattan, will open Friday, December 9, at 10 a.m., just in time for the holidays. This one-of-a-kind Apple retail store overlooks the historic Main Concourse from the East and North East balconies of the world-famous Grand Central Terminal, and has two Genius Bars for free tech support and advice.

...

Beyond the balcony overlooking the expansive Main Concourse, the Apple Store Grand Central offers rooms dedicated to some of our most popular services, including the largest area in the world dedicated to Personal Setup.

Update 2: Fortune has posted a video walkthrough of the new store.

CNBC reports on word from a source who claims that Apple has been very pleased with customer usage of the EasyPay self-checkout system for its retail stores. Under the system, customers can use the Apple Store app on their iPhones to scan shelf-stocked items in an Apple retail store and pay for them using their iTunes Store accounts. Customers can simply walk out of the store after the transaction is completed without needing to speak with any store employees.


The report does not offer any specifics on the program's performance, but vaguely suggests that it is at least meeting expectations.

Apple's self checkout revolution may have seemed a bit crazy, but it's apparently working out.

That's what I hear from a source familiar with Apple's retail operation.

...

The intelligence I'm getting is that the benefits of the new system are outweighing any negatives.

The report notes that Apple is also expected to heavily promote the self-checkout feature at its new Grand Central Terminal store set to open on Friday. With the open floor plan and throngs of commuters quickly passing through the store, the feature will likely be a popular one for store visitors.

While some have been skeptical of the usefulness of the self-checkout feature, many customers had expressed frustration at difficulties with getting the attention of store employees to complete simple transactions, and the new self-checkout avoids that situation entirely while freeing those staff members for more specialized consultation and training with other customers. Apple has reportedly noted that it envisions self-checkout and another system in which customers can pickup online orders in-store eventually being the primary ways in which customers make purchases from Apple retail stores.

Apple, not known for its partnerships with third-parties, is recognizing December 1st as World AIDS Day on its website and within the Apple Retail Stores.

Apple currently sells two items associated with Bono's PRODUCT (RED) charity, a red iPod Nano and a red Smart Cover, both sold exclusively on the Apple Online Store and in the Apple Retail Store. Apple gives a portion of the purchase price of these specially branded items to the Global Fund to fight AIDS in Africa.

IFOAppleStore reports that today in the retail stores:

a select group of Specialists will be wearing and promoting the (RED) iPod nano, with a portion of the $129/$149 price going to the Global Fund to fight AIDS in Africa. Also, managers and store greeters who normally carry iPads for work will have (RED) Smart Covers protecting the devices. On the product shelves, signs will promote the Beats by Dr. Dre Solo HD Headphones that are also part of the (RED) product line. There is also a special (RED) iTunes gift card available in the stores.

Some stores, including the Regent Street location in London, have also colored their Apple logos red for the occasion:


In addition to its retail store efforts, Apple has put a prominent link on the bottom left of its homepage to (RED)'s 2015quilt.com.

Thanks to Sam for the Regent Street photo.

Alongside the launch of the iPhone 4S, Apple also debuted a new $99 AppleCare+ program offering an extended warranty with accidental damage coverage. The AppleCare+ package replaced the previous $69 AppleCare for iPhone offering that did not offer accidental coverage.

Some confusion about the AppleCare+ program arose in its early days, stemming in large part from Apple's requirement that the coverage be purchased at the same time as the iPhone, a requirement that seemed to conflict with the legal text of the agreement which stated that AppleCare+ must be purchased within the device's one-year standard warranty period. Regardless, a number of customers were not offered the AppleCare+ option at the time of pre-ordering, and Apple addressed the issue by offering a temporary exception to allow any early iPhone purchaser to obtain AppleCare+ through November 14th.


With that deadline for delays AppleCare+ purchases having now passed, Apple appeared set to revert to the original policy of requiring that the plan be purchased at the same time as the iPhone. But Apple has now updated its AppleCare+ page to indicate that users can purchase it in-person at an Apple retail store or over the phone any time within 30 days after the iPhone purchase.

How to get AppleCare+

* Add it to your shopping cart during the checkout process when you purchase your new iPhone.

* Buy it within 30 days of your iPhone purchase:
- At Apple Retail (requires a Genius Bar appointment, inspection of the iPhone & proof of purchase).
- Or call 1-800-275-2273 (requires proof of purchase).

Apple has also revised the AppleCare+ terms and conditions to remove the previous mention of the option to purchase any time within the one-year standard warranty period.


In addition to the new 30-day window, SprintFeed reports that it has received an internal Sprint notice indicating that the original amnesty period for early iPhone 4S purchasers has also been extended through December 15th. The wording does suggest, however, that the 30-day limit still applies to these customers, so customers who purchased the iPhone 4S on launch day would still be out of luck given that the window has now passed for them. But the policy does offer some continuing retroactive coverage for customers who purchased their devices less than 30 days ago.