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back to article Apple axes loyal store staff in Essex, Milton Keynes

Apple is cutting down on UK retail staff at its stores in Milton Keynes and Essex: blueshirted fanbois on short-term contracts will get the heave-ho, sources in the Mac channel claim. Industry talk of layoffs in Apple's shops surfaced in MacRumours earlier this week. Apple has refused to officially comment though a …

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  1. Kevin7
    WTF?

    Surprised this hasn't happened earlier - in the two Apple stores close to where I live it looks mostly like a playground for 13 year old kids messing about with gadgets they will never possibly afford. Given also that most non-Apple products can also be found cheaper elsewhere I'm amazed its succeeded at all.

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  2. Jedit Silver badge
    Boffin

    Do Apple Stores need permanent full time staff?

    One would think they would only need a full complement of full time staff to cover launch day queues. A reduced number of staff could cover regular needs.

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  3. Jason Hindle

    Perhaps they anticipate iPhone 5

    Will be a bit of a damp squib?

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  4. Big_Ted
    Joke

    This is great news for all of us.

    With so many "geniuses" rejoining the workforce elsewhere they will sort out the economy in weeks.....

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    1. Anonymous Coward
      Reply Icon
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: This is great news for all of us.

      "With so many "geniuses" rejoining the workforce elsewhere they will sort out the economy in weeks....."

      Alternatively, they're being moved over to new European outlets.

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      1. Anonymous Coward
        Reply Icon
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: This is great news for all of us.

        "Alternatively, they're being moved over to new European outlets."

        Unlikely. What use would an English speaking 'Genuis' be in a German or French Apple Store?

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        1. Anonymous Coward
          Reply Icon
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: This is great news for all of us.

          "Unlikely. What use would an English speaking 'Genuis' be in a German or French Apple Store?"

          Quite a lot, apparently. Not everyone employed in UK stores only speaks English. Apple is always keen to get their hands on multilingual staff.

          I wasn't just making a flippant comment, by the way: A friend who works for them has just taken a relocation to Amsterdam.

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  5. Anthony Hulse

    The Dixons Effect

    This is what you get when you let a DSG guy run the retail side of things. I give it a year before Apple Stores have stacks of printer boxes piled up at the end of each workbench too, with SALE signs all over the place.

    My guess is Steve Jobs is beginning to slowly rotate in his grave...

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    1. The Godfather
      Reply Icon
      WTF?

      Re: The Dixons Effect

      There is a great deal of weight to what you say. I for one was astonished when he was plucked from DSG.

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  6. jai

    WTF? is Anna stuck in a timewarp?

    The original MacRumors piece came out 4 days ago. I guess it's taken a long time to put together all the rest of the information in this article.

    But also, MacRumours published a new piece on this story Apple 'Messed Up' with Retail Store Cutbacks, Denies Mass Layoffs over 20 hours ago, and it doesn't seem to be mentioned in this El Reg article at all.

    Is Anna's internet connection working alright?

    For anyone that's interested in more current news, but doesn't want to click the link, here's a quote from an Apple spokesperson on the issue:

    Apple acknowledged the retail staffing changes. "Making these changes was a mistake and the changes are being reversed," said Kristin Huguet, an Apple spokeswoman.

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  7. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Good to see the Dixons effect working so well

    Clearly John Browett is bringing the elusive Dixons shopping experience to his new masters. We can probably look forward to stories soon about massive queues and lost business because of lack of staff for the iPhone 5 launch and the run-up to Christmas.

    And haven't Apple gone soft? Had his cock up over staffing happened during the reign of the turtlenecked overlord, Browett would have been out on his ear by now.

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    1. Anonymous Coward
      Reply Icon
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Good to see the Dixons effect working so well

      Don't forget offering a three-year 'extended' guarantee for your iPhone for just £874, denying all knowledge that EU law already means most electrical goods come with a two year statute guarantee, so you're really paying more than the cost of a replacement for the final year.

      I'm not making this up - I once tried to barter with a sales drone in Dixons over an item costing £400. Naturally I got nowhere, even after the manager had been called over, and in the end just asked if they'd throw in a free set of batteries. The sales drone said "perhaps if you bought an extended guarantee we could give you a set of batteries", looking at the manager.... who said no!

      he wouldn't even throw in a couple of quid's worth of batteries to secure a £400 sale PLUS a £350 extended guarantee! Not that I would have agreed to it, but he shot down the suggestion instantly.

      Dixons closed down.

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    2. sorcerer
      Reply Icon

      Re: Good to see the Dixons effect working so well

      I think that should probably be cock-up, on the other hand you might know something we don't...

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  8. Euchrid

    Loyal?

    The article doesn't say why the staff are 'loyal'.

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  9. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Tellytubby Daleks

    "blueshirted fanbois on short-term contracts will get the heave-ho"

    Did the introduction to this article make anyone else think of that scene in Doctor Who where the Tellytubby Daleks emerge and the old Daleks gladly and wilfully agree to be exterminated in order to keep their own race pure?

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  10. Anonymous Coward
    WTF?

    110 employees a store??

    I have never been in an apple store but they must be crammed in there like sardines....;)

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    1. Anthony Hulse
      Reply Icon
      Devil

      Re: 110 employees a store??

      I don't think Apple have got to the stage of insisting their retail employees work 24/7.

      They save that for the factory workers.

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  11. Morri

    Not surprised,was in Hunts Cross Asda yesterday and there were on the end of an isle working IPad 2 and 3?

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    1. Snapper
      Reply Icon
      FAIL

      What?

      Could you learn to write properly and use the beautiful English language in a form that people will understand instead of just hitting the keys in a random order and expecting us to try and work out what you are failing to say please!

      You must be middle management.

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