MacTechnology's Robert Peckham talks about the new-look Apple store design. Every time I get a phone call from any of the IT industry journalists I know, it’s always to ask for my comments about some newly revealed negative aspect of working with Apple as a reseller, service provider or VAR. And I've had quite a number in the past few weeks, all about the same topic...
If you mention V2 to any Apple Premium Reseller (APR) in the UK, they'll either roll their eyes and tut, or hang their shaking head in desperation. What is V2? In a nutshell, it’s the new-look Apple store design that has been rolling out across Europe for almost two years, which is now being brought to the UK after some hesitation.
Why is this such a big thing? Because Apple is insisting all its APR retail partners must pay to refit their stores under V2, or lose their coveted APR status together with Apple’s support of their marketing, performance rebates and all the other margin enhancers that make APR stores in any way profitable. And Apple won't be paying for V2.