back to article CEO of Brit fashion bods Burberry lands Apple job for retail, online sales

Apple has drafted in the CEO of high-end Brit faux tartan fashion label Burberry to head up its global retail and online sales biz – a newly created position. It will be a different type of collection that US national Angela Ahrendts handles when she starts at Apple next spring - as senior veep and a member of Apple's …

COMMENTS

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  1. Irongut

    She'll go from selling overpriced tat to neds to selling overpriced tat to neds. Should be perfect for the job.

  2. Khaptain Silver badge

    A day to celebrate

    Chavs of the world unite - soon to be faux tartan iPhones for the inclusion in ones collection of bling...

    1. Peter Simpson 1

      Re: A day to celebrate

      Now, the only question will be: gold? or chav-tartan?

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Made in China

    Burberry went downhill when they started manufacturing in China. So really this is someone moving from one Chinese marketing department to another.

    Burberry. Not to be confused with Barbour, which manufactures in Tyne and Wear. And no, I don't work for them.

  4. returnmyjedi

    Designed in California.

    Manufactured in a Chinese sweatshop.

    Marketed in Basingstoke.

  5. This post has been deleted by its author

  6. Moeluk

    Seems a good fit to me! I'm happy, a damn sight better than that Browett twat, who's inflicted misery on every poor sod ever to step into a currys/pc world.

    1. This post has been deleted by its author

  7. Mike Flex

    Around here every chav seems to have an iphone so now they'll be able to have co-ordinating clothes and mobe.

  8. CheesyTheClown

    Fashion company to fashion company... duh..

    Dixons guy was crap because he was a tech guy. Apple is a fashion company first, tech second. She's probably better suited for the job than Tim Cook. She probably gets it.

    1. Anthony Hulse

      Re: Fashion company to fashion company... duh..

      Dixons guy was crap not through any techie knowledge but because he decided to focus on maximising profit at the retail end regardless of customer satisfaction. Apple Stores are showrooms first and foremost. Running them like PC World was always going to fail, because unlike Apple PC World has no way to guarantee milk from the customer once they've made that first "aspirational" purchase.

      Burberry woman understands that brand perception is far more important than squeezing every penny out of the customers in the shops, although for different reasons. She's a much better fit than Browett could ever be.

      1. CheesyTheClown

        Re: Fashion company to fashion company... duh..

        So, you're saying that :

        Burberry woman understands fashion, I.E. branding. Make it look special, milk the customer on the accessories, get them to come back for more and more.

        Dixon guy doesn't, he figures that all that matters is what happens in his part of the store because that's where his results are measured so who cares if you buy all the addons, it doesn't show up on his quarterly reports?

        Yeh... tech vs. fashion :)

  9. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Oh my goodness

    When he's wiped the spittle off his keyboard, Obviously! is bound to grace us with his curiously incoherent presence. Like crack for that boy, this stuff.

  10. asdf

    hey Apple

    I guess somebody forgot to tell Apple that chavs are on the dole so they don't buy their bling they steal it. Hiring her probably won't help revenues all that much.

  11. spiny norman

    Instinct over IQ

    Snide comments about chavs are all very well, but Burberry under Ahrendts is a text book case in what a luxury brand can do with imaginative use of new technology. Apple kit is part of their infrastructure that links stores and online, so that's a connection.

    If Apple feels its brand image is slipping, Ahrendts looks like a good choice to put it back in its place. The question is whether she can do it without the creative and technical team she has at Burberry.

    1. Kay Burley ate my hamster

      Re: Instinct over IQ

      Snide or not those comments are indicative how a lot of people perceive both brands. The opening comment was exactly what I expected to see when I clicked comments, and it still made me laugh.

      For me Apple's brand slipped when they released the first iPhone, it had less features than my Sony Ericsson of the time, I felt it didn't live up to the my experience of their computers.

      I'd never heard of Burberry before the chavs made it famous. :)

  12. SimonG

    The UK is not representative of the world

    What we see happening in the UK - such as the association between Burberry check and certain social classes - is not representative of how it is perceived in the rest of the world.

    Burberry under Ahrendts has gone from strength to strength and developed a brand - most specifically in the far East and other developing markets - and I think that this successful experience; or its recipe is what Apple are seeking as they seek to have better market share in these markets.

    1. Mike Flex

      Re: The UK is not representative of the world

      "Burberry under Ahrendts has gone from strength to strength and developed a brand - most specifically in the far East and other developing markets"

      So, far enough away that the buyers aren't aware that Burberry = Chav Central back in their home market? Any of these overseas buyers are going to look pretty daft if they wear any Burberry check items on visits to the UK.

  13. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    As suspected: the 'c' in 5c now stands for 'chav'. Nice bit of brand promotion there, Apple

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