Examining Angela Ahrendts’ five-year tenure as head of Apple Retail

“When Angela Ahrendts steps down from Apple as senior Vice President, Retail, in April 2019, she will have completed five years at the helm of all of the company’s stores —both physical and online,” William Gallagher writes for AppleInsider. “While Apple does also earn money from services and other business activities, the alterations that she’s made in the stores are central to the rise of the company into being the world’s most profitable firm.”
“These Apple Stores have been lauded as retail successes since their very beginnings, and externally they had appeared to be doing well even before Ahrendts joined. Yet in practice, the years before her arrival were marked with problems,” Gallagher writes. “Her official predecessor only lasted nine months in the job before being replaced by Tim Cook who acted as a caretaker head of retail alongside his duties as CEO.”
“Ahrendts seemed happier to make her changes more subtly and less visibly,” Gallagher writes. “She appeared to predominantly build up Apple’s internal systems for running and developing retail before she moved to launch the Today at Apple idea of turning stores into meeting places.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Good luck in your greatly expanded duties, Deirdre O’Brien!
SEE ALSO:
Apple CEO Cook thanks Angela Ahrendts in company-wide memo to employees – February 6, 2019
Apple names third retail chief in seven years – February 6, 2019
Apple’s Angela Ahrendts to depart in April; Deirdre O’Brien named senior vice president of Retail + People – February 5, 2019