Apple is eyeing a clean up of its retail stores with the iPods going to the Accessories section, according to new reports.
According to a report on 9to5mac, Apple will get getting rid of its demo iPod units from the table and instead make them readily available for purchase on accessory shelves. Further, there won’t be any Smart Signs that used to sit near the demo iPods revealing information about them. According to the report, the changes will be effective as early as August 26.
The iPods will be moved next to the Apple Watch bands, headphones and iPhone cases on the Accessory wall. The seeming relegation of the iPod’s status to an accessory is something that was in the waiting since long. One of the best selling products of the company won’t be getting the same treatment as its younger siblings – the Mac, iPad, and iPhone – and one of the primary reasons is that it isn’t Apple’s main money-making hardware anymore.
This is not the only change that Apple will be bringing about next week as the report reveals that Apple will be pulling its aging iPad 2s from most of its stores. Further, instead of Smart Signs, Apple will be pre-loading price information and product details onto demo and display iPhones, iPads, and Macs themselves.
When it comes to the extra space that will be available after removal of the Smart Signs and the iPods, Apple will be bringing in more devices that potential customers can test on the shop floor.
Though Apple has decided to pull off the Smart Signs, some major stores will still retain them during the transition. According to feedback from retail employees, most of the customers used to get confused with these Smart Signs as they didn’t realise that these were simply informational items and became confused when they could not fully use the device as a demo iPad.
