Rumor: Apple to adopt jewelry store protocols, increase security for gold Apple Watch sales

With the Apple Watch shipping in April, Apple may be changing some of its retail methods to match the product.

According to sources, Apple is planning several new features for its retail stores to support the Gold Watch Edition of the device. As reported several months ago, Apple is planning on allowing customers to actually try on the watches and test out different band styles inside of stores. With the high-expected price tag of the gold watch models, Apple will also step up its security features for stores.

Over on 9to5Mac, there’s the following:

Apple will outfit its official retail stores with safes to house the more expensive, gold “Edition” variants of the upcoming Apple Watch. The safes will likely be used to carry both to-be-sold inventory as well as to store demo units from the show floor overnight. The custom-designed safes will be outfitted with Apple Watch MagSafe chargers in order to keep the demo units charged up and ready to go for the next day of business. Apple has already begun installing the safes in some stores ahead of the Apple Watch’s expected release in April…

The Apple Watch Edition will likely have a special sales process, due to its high price, that differentiates it from the less-expensive stainless steel and aluminum models. Sources also say that Apple is getting ready to re-organize Apple Store shelving areas to make room for Apple Watch display tables. Apple is also working on ways to allow prospective buyers to try on Apple Watches inside of the store and play around with different band material and color options.

Apple’s aluminum and glass Apple Watch Sport is reported to retail for US$349 while the gold edition is rumored to sell for thousands of dollars. With a price tag this high, Apple appears to be looking towards more secure safety protocols that jewelry stores have employed for years, housing the more expensive merchandise in a safer part of the store.

This marks an extremely significant change in that if this pans out it would be one of the most significant changes to the Apple Store since Angela Ahrendts took over as retail chief in 2014. Apple is selling an entirely new, far more expensive item in this regard.

Also, keep in mind that Apple retail store locations are popular targets for theft and robbery and it’s not entirely unusual for local criminals to plow their cars through the store front, then begin grabbing merchandise at will before fleeing the scene of the crime.

Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

Via 9to5Mac