It’s not just you, shopping at Apple is really complicated

Apple’s online store demonstrates how complicated the shopping experience and product lines have become.

When it comes to the retail experience, Apple has risen the standard. They place a huge emphasis on employee knowledge so they are able to comfortably and confidently talk to customers. I know from experience that Apple cares about its employees and customers, and they want the customer experience to be the best one possible.

There was a time when I was super knowledgeable on Apple’s product lines, but I also thought they were super intuitive. Each product had a name and potentially a descriptor. Think back to 2005: you had the iPod and the iPod Mini. If you opted for an iPod, you would probably be able to deduce it was larger than the Mini variation. There were many other differences between the two products, but you were able to identify the key difference on name alone.

Over time, Apple would produce more products. We had “Airs,” “S”-lines, “Pros,” and new products with no descriptors. As Apple added more, understanding the products became a little more complicated.

The iPhone 12 and the iPhone 12 Pro lines are becoming available so interest in the smartphones are going to be high. We are approaching the holiday season and living in a time where e-commerce is more important than ever. As someone who has been an Apple consumer for the better half of my life, I go online, browse products, and ask myself: how do I know what I want?

Apple Online

For a company as intuitive as Apple, it seems their online presence leaves something to be desired. In fact, their retail section wasn’t integrated with their product pages until 2015. If I wanted to purchase an iPad Mini when it was first released, I would start by landing on the product page. After looking up information I would need to migrate over to the “Store” section of the site.

Remember, Apple has had a presence online since the ’90s. Before the retail stores opened Apple would sell their products in select retailers as well as their online store. The first Apple Store dates back to 2001, but Apple’s online retail store opened in 1997. This gave them the freedom to craft an online retail experience before many other brands.