Why the Apple Watch is heading to Best Buy, not Target

By Chris Burns/July 27, 2015 11:40 am EST

Why did Apple choose Best Buy to carry their Apple Watch when so many other stores would jump at the chance? This is the question many electronics stores – many of whom also carry Apple products – will be asking at board meetings this afternoon. Why, Apple, would you choose the one retailer for the Apple Watch, one that allows people to literally take working model smartphones and smartwatches off the rack to test them? Why indeed. The proof is in the pudding – stores like Target and Walmart are making a mockery of the point-of-sale mobile device business.

Both Target and Wal-mart have their own smartwatch sections now – mostly dedicated to wearable fitness trackers. Instead of providing a space where potential customers could try the devices on, as they would any other wearable product in the store – like CLOTHING – they hide the products under hard plastic cases.

Look! This is something you could own! You can't try it first. You can't see what it would look like, this watch, this piece of equipment you'll be wearing all day long every day.

It shouldn't come as a surprise at all why Apple has decided to go with Best Buy. If not just first, perhaps exclusively.

Look at this display for Samsung photographed earlier this year. Look how I can take the watch off the display and put it on my wrist. No problem. It's a working model, too! I can see how it works! Imagine that!

Best Buy does such a good job at allowing people to try electronics before they buy that Samsung brought their virtual reality headset Gear VR to the store for consumer testing. Have a peek at our Gear VR Best Buy in-store experience article out to see what it's all about.

Apple also has their own mini-store setup inside Best Buy stores – that's another BIG reason why they're bringing the Apple Watch to the box and not elsewhere.

According to Best Buy, the Apple Watch will be available in more than 100 physical Best Buy stores. By the end of the year another 200 Best Buy stores will have Apple Watch as well.