bobkupbensBob Kupbens, Apple's Vice President of Online Retail, has resigned from the company, reports 9to5Mac.

The former Delta Airlines VP was hired by Apple in March 2014 shortly after Angela Ahrendts was confirmed the company's next senior VP. The hires came as Apple sought to beef up its retail division following two years without a retail leader since John Browett's dismissal in 2012.

Kupbens took over from Apple VP Jennifer Bailey – now in charge of Apple Pay – and was directly responsible for all online retail initiatives, such as Apple's recently redesigned online store and its online iPhone upgrade program.

Apple's retail leadership has had a relatively high staff turnover in recent years compared to other divisions in the company. In January 2013, VP Jerry McDougal left Cupertino after playing a key role in the company's retail development for 12 years. Ahrendts' division shake-up later made way for the 2015 retirement of Bob Bridger, the last Apple retail executive of the Steve Jobs and Ron Johnson era.

A former CEO of Burberry, Ahrendts famously revamped the fashion company's entire shopping experience. Apple has aggressively expanded in China under Ahrendts' retail leadership, with stores opening last year in Chongqing, Hangzhou, Hong Kong, Nanjing and Tianjin, and several more on the way throughout 2016.

Top Rated Comments

timborama Avatar
97 months ago
Seeing how much the online store has been (positively) changed, he must have done something right.
You're kidding right!?! Even http://store.apple.com doesn't take you to the online store anymore. WTF?!?
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bushido Avatar
97 months ago
i really dont like the "new" online "store" straight from the product info page. too much clicking around, especially on mobile devices. i know theres the App but ... lazy
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MacFather Avatar
97 months ago
Deleted.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jmgregory1 Avatar
97 months ago
What gets me, as I've lived through change-over similar to Ahrendt's installation, is that she (and others like her) think and are treated as if they are doing something truly significant. When in fact, it was the actual hard work of creating Apple Stores in the first place, by people like Ron Johnson, that made it possible for her to have a job. Apple already had changed the computer and device shopping experience with their stores, so now it's just tweaking work required and in that regard, I certainly don't think she's contributed anything positive to either the brick and mortar or online shopping experience.

The only positive thing I can say about the stores is that the Apple Store app allows me to not have to wait for sales help, at least on non-device purchases, so I can go in, pay for the product on my iPhone and walk out. Otherwise, the employees don't, in my experience, even know as much about products or Apple in general, as I do (given I've got a good 30 years on most of them), and fighting through the crowds just isn't worth it to me. Even my youngest son sees and feels the negative change, as he used to ask to go to the Apple Store just to look at things, but no longer does. In part it's because we own so much Apple product already, but it used to be exciting to see the new iteration of different product and that excitement just isn't there any longer.

My wife has said this many times, and I agree, that Apple used to be special because it effectively appealed to a certain group of creative people and now that they're a mass market brand, that specialness is gone. It's a positive for Apple because they've moved beyond being a niche player (to the biggest and most successful company in their space), but for those who had the vision back in the day, it's more difficult to get excited about a brand that has effectively become what they competed against 20+ years ago.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
slu Avatar
97 months ago
There should be turnover in retail. Buying anything at an Apple Store is an awful experience and the online store has been changed for the worse. I actually left an Apple Store without buying because I had to put my name on a list for a "sales specialist" and could not just pay for an item and go.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Dr.Chroma Avatar
97 months ago
A lot of resignations documented in the last 12 months from Apple. I'm sure the work environment is stressful, but clearly the payoff is not enough to subdue these upper level executives.

Maybe Angela Arhendts should join him. Maybe Burberry was her 'True Calling'.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iphone se 4 modified flag edges

iPhone SE 4 Details: Action Button, USB-C Port, Face ID, and More

Wednesday September 27, 2023 1:34 pm PDT by
Significant changes are expected to arrive with Apple's fourth-generation iPhone SE, in terms of both design and hardware, MacRumors has learned. The iPhone SE 4, known internally under the codename Ghost, is expected to receive a new design derived almost entirely from the base model iPhone 14. According to our sources, the iPhone SE 4 will use a modified version of the iPhone 14 chassis...
iOS 17

Apple Releases iOS 17.0.2 and iPadOS 17.0.2 for All iPhones and iPads

Tuesday September 26, 2023 12:47 pm PDT by
Apple today released iOS 17.0.2 and iPadOS 17.0.2 updates, with the software coming five days after the releases of iOS 17.0.1 and iPadOS 17.0.1. Today's iOS 17.0.2 and iPadOS 17.0.2 updates arrive as build 21A351 and can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. Note that iOS 17.0.2 was previously made available for iPhone...
iOS 17

Everything New in iOS 17.1 Beta 1

Wednesday September 27, 2023 1:57 pm PDT by
Just a week after releasing iOS 17, Apple has seeded the first beta of iOS 17.1 to developers. iOS 17.1 adds some features that Apple promised were coming to iOS 17 in the future, plus it refines and improves some existing features. This guide covers everything new in the first iOS 17.1 beta. Apple Music Favorites You can favorite songs, albums, playlists, and artists in the iOS 17.1...
iPhone 15 Pro lineup

iPhone 15 Pro Overheating Concerns Highlighted in Two More Reports

Thursday September 28, 2023 6:25 am PDT by
iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max overheating concerns continue to make headlines this week, with the topic highlighted by The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg. Both of the reports document anecdotal complaints from customers, and outline potential causes, but it's unclear how many devices are actually affected. Bloomberg said the overheating could be caused or compounded by the iPhone's setup...
iPhone 15 Pro Lineup Feature

Kuo: iPhone 15 Pro Overheating Issues Likely Due to Thermal Compromises, Not 3nm Node

Tuesday September 26, 2023 9:12 am PDT by
Complaints about heat issues with the iPhone 15 Pro models are not related to TSMC's 3-nanometer node that was used for the A17 Pro chip, according to well-respected Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Kuo says that overheating could be caused by "compromises made in the thermal system design" that allowed Apple to cut down on the weight of the iPhone 15 Pro models. Kuo says that the reduced heat...
iPhone 15 USB C Port Keynote

Some USB-C Power Banks Fail to Work With iPhone 15

Thursday September 28, 2023 2:06 pm PDT by
Apple added a USB-C port to the iPhone 15 lineup this year, allowing it to work with USB-C cables, USB-C power banks, and more. It turns out that some USB-C battery packs are not working properly with Apple's iPhone 15, resulting in charging issues. As highlighted on Reddit and the MacRumors forums, not all existing USB-C power banks can be used with the iPhone 15 models, perhaps due to the...
Mac Gaming

Apple Explains How Game Mode Works in macOS Sonoma

Wednesday September 27, 2023 2:24 am PDT by
In macOS Sonoma, Game Mode prioritizes CPU and GPU performance for gaming purposes on Macs. For those unfamiliar with Game Mode, Apple on Tuesday published a support document providing more information on how to use the new feature. Game Mode optimizes your gaming experience by giving your game the highest priority access to your CPU and GPU, lowering usage for background tasks. And it...