Tuesday Apple announced that January will be their last appearance at the Macworld Expo held annually in San Francisco. The conference is an annual pilgrimage for Mac fans. Apple’s press release explained that trade shows have become a “minor part of how Apple reaches its customers.” Instead the company is going to focus on its retail stores which see more than $3.5 million people visit per week.
While the Internet is abuzz with conspiracy theorists who think the move is indicative of something much more disastrous, people like Tim Bajarin, an industry analyst, told USA Today, “I’ve got to take it somewhat at face value.” And it makes sense. The economy is making everyone rethink everything and Apple is surely feeling the pinch. Companies have to be much more conservative with their marketing dollars and optimization is the name of the game. It only makes sense for Apple, and all retailers for that matter, to focus marketing efforts on the most direct contact they have with their customers — in the store.
What do you think? Should companies direct more of their attention on interactions with customers at retail? How should they go about it?
