Apple overhauls e-commerce experience

Tuesday, November 1, 2011 - 08:54 by Simon Crisp

Apple is going to make it even easier to use its portals for safe shopping online in the run up to the festive season this year.

As well as improving its retail website, it will also be making alterations to its high street outlets, to help people invest in smartphones, tablets, computers and media players bearing the Apple logo.

One interesting announcement that is expected to be made by the firm this week is that it will be improving the m-commerce shopping experience for people who are looking to buy Apple products from their iPhone or iPad 2.

This information comes from MacRumours, which is reporting that Apple is going to update its official application which allows its customers to browse products and pay for them via safe shopping online, combined with high street stores.

 The Apple Store App will be re-launched on November 3rd and will let people visiting the company's shops to check out items without the aid of a shop assistant and also use their smartphone to request that a gadget is pulled out of the back room and presented to them on the shop floor.

It is rumoured that Apple will email a receipt to customers who use the self-checkout system so that they can present it before they are allowed to leave the store with their new purchase.

The self-checkout system will apparently take the payment from the customer's iTunes account, not straight from a credit or debit card, which is something to think about for anyone considering shopping in this way ahead of Christmas 2011.

Improvements to the standard e-commerce site are also in the works, with customers able to send out purchases to multiple addresses so that they can be delivered as presents to disparate relatives this year, according to TNW.