As Apple posts a 5% increase in sales year on year to reach $85.8bn (£67.36bn), the RetailX Top500 Brands D2C: Europe 2024 report looks at the tech company’s design-first approach to retail.
Apple, ranked in the Elite group of brands, uses images, video and information to improve the customer journey. The computing and smartphone brand is a leader in the Product, Operations and Capital Value Chains thanks to ambitious sustainability targets and convenient multichannel fulfilment services.
Apple was founded in 1976 in Cupertino, California by a team led by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak. It has grown to become one of the world’s largest brands and sells across Europe through its multichannel model – it has more than 500 shops around the world, sells online and through mobile apps, and has its own marketplaces, such as the App Store, and provides entertainment services through Apple Music, Apple News and Apple TV+.
In the year to September 30 2023, the brand reported net sales of $383.3bn ( -2.8% on the previous year) and net income of $96.99bn ( -2.8%). At the time, Apple CEO Tim Cook said: “We now have our strongest lineup of products… including the iPhone 15 lineup and our first carbon neutral Apple Watch models, a major milestone in our efforts to make all Apple products carbon neutral by 2030.”
The brand is also working to extend the lifespan of its products, and in June 2024 expanded its Apple Diagnostics for Self Service Repair to 32 European countries. “While Apple is committed to providing safe and affordable repair options, designing and building long-lasting products remains the top priority,” Apple said in a press release. “The best type of repair for customers and the planet is one that is never needed.”
Apple enables shoppers to find its products easily on its website, through search suggestions, and category-led navigation. Advice and information is on hand, with shopping guides, model comparisons, product images, videos and information. It uses the features of its products to make shopping easier. On its mobile website, shoppers can use scroll through products on their smartphone before using its touchscreen to zoom in or rotate a product. Payment options include Apple Pay as well as standard bank card options.
On its UK website, once shoppers have decided on an item, they can pick up their online order in an Apple store, at a third-party pickup point, or opt for free standard delivery – next business day for items that are in stock. Returns can be made within 14 calendar days of delivery.
This company profile, authored by Chloe Rigby, appears in the the RetailX Top500 Brands D2C: Europe 2024. The new report charts the performance of direct-to-consumer brands selling to shoppers across Europe. In previous years we have called the report the Brand Index, however the rise of direct-to-consumer as a trend has driven us to update our report title.
Our analysis of the D2C Brand Index 2024 is illustrated with company profiles showcasing the five retailers standing out in the market. As well as Apple, we look at H&M, Ikea, Uniqlo and Zara.
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