A new book claims Apple’s retail strategy played a key role in the weak launch of the Vision Pro in early 2024. The report says staffing cuts, limited training, and pressure on sales performance affected how employees handled the product in stores.
New York Times reporter Noam Scheiber writes that Apple Store employees struggled to deliver consistent Vision Pro demos. Apple brought selected staff to Cupertino for training under strict secrecy. However, many employees received limited preparation before returning to stores.
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Some workers said they only saw a short demo and had little time to practice a detailed presentation. The process required scanning customer faces, adjusting fittings, and guiding users through controls across multiple screens. Small errors often led to poor demo quality, including blurry visuals.
Scheiber reports that lean staffing made it harder for managers to give employees enough time to prepare. As a result, demo quality varied across locations, and some employees felt a gap between corporate expectations and real store conditions.
Scheiber links these issues to long-term changes in Apple’s retail model. Under Steve Jobs, Apple focused on well-trained, full-time employees. Over time, the company reduced training and increased reliance on metrics like device sales and service sign-ups.
After leadership changes, retail operations shifted toward cost control and standard retail targets. Employees said roles that once focused on customer education moved closer to product promotion.
The book states that Apple sold fewer than 500,000 Vision Pro units in 2024. This falls far below the early performance of other Apple products like the Apple Watch and iPhone.
Scheiber notes that store employees once helped improve product launches through direct customer feedback. This time, he argues, retail challenges worked against the Vision Pro.
The device’s high price, limited apps, and heavy design also affected demand. Many employees could not afford the product, which limited their familiarity during sales.
WIRED reports that some stores later dropped the scripted demo approach and allowed more flexible presentations as sales slowed.
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