Who's the oldest person you've seen working at an Apple Store?

[Unspeaked]

So I've been to a fair number of Apple Stores and I've noticed something odd.

Well, not so much odd as interesting.

It seems that the urban based Apple Stores are made up almost entirely of college or college-aged employees, with maybe 1 or 2 older employees (30-40 years of age).

Sometimes, some of the geniuses at these stores are also 30+, but not by much.

However, at the suburban stores I've been to, it seems as if most of the employees are 30+, and even several 40+ employees work there. The college aged kids make up no more than 25% of the store employees, where they're close to 75% in the urban stores.

I realize a lot of this has to do with demographics of cities and suburbs, but I just thought it was interesting.

Has anyone else noticed this in the stores they've been to?

And, out of curiosity, how old is the oldest person you've seen working at an Apple Store, in any position? Obviously, you'd have to estimate (unless you saw their driver's license or something). There's one I saw who was probably around 55.

 

[Mord]

Older people tend not to work retail.

 

[yeroen]

Those over 30 cannot afford to work retail. Retail pay is barely more than minimum wage, even at higher end establishments. The managerial class earn a salary, but it's still typically quite a bit less than they'd earn outside retail.

 

[Unspeaked]

You should walk into CVS, Ann Taylor, Home Depot or a host of other retail stores where the average employee age is probably 35 or even 40...

There's a great many people who are older and have no choice but to work retail. As I said myself, I've been to Apple Stores made up almost entirely of 30 somethings or greater.

 

[yeroen]

You should walk into CVS, Ann Taylor, Home Depot or a host of other retail stores where the average employee age is probably 35 or even 40...
.

There are alot of 30+ people working retail, but whether they're being paid a living wage is debatable. I'm always amazed that anyone can afford to pay the rent working retail, especially if they're in a big city.

I worked retail as a 'survival job' for a short time while looking for a job after leaving graduate school, ~10 years ago. It sucked. Big time. The pay was barely subsistence level, the hours long, and the work tiring.

The most depressing thing to see was ex-programmers who were forced to work at Best Buy after their jobs were shipped to India.

But all this is off-topic.

The Apple store wants to project a hip, youthful boutique-y feel in it's stores. Hence the minimalist architecture, and the all-black clad employees. It stands to reason that they'd hire a younger, more attractive set than the Best Buy pleated-dockers crowd. I also suspect that many of the older 'Apple Geniuses' are moonlighting IT professionals.

 

[TEG]

I've seen a few people working at the Apple Store that look older than my parents, and they are nearly 60. I also met the manager at one of the stores who was at least 40.

TEG

 

[Fuzzbear]

I've seen a few people working at the Apple Store that look older than my parents, and they are nearly 60. I also met the manager at one of the stores who was at least 40.

TEG

For the most part of the 3 apple stores Ive been to in Chicago they seem to be mostly staffed with 20-30 year olds a few managerial types that seem to be 40+ and theres always one or two employees(for some reason usually female) that appear to be 50+

 

[aristobrat]

Those over 30 cannot afford to work retail.

Perhaps if they're single-income, but based on my embarrassingly-many years managing a McD's, there's a market of quality people who will work for way less money than you'd ever expect in return for a fun work environment and extremely flexible hours. In my experience, 99% of them were in relationships where their partner was the primary money earner and they were just working to get out of the house.

 

[Fuzzbear]

Perhaps if they're single-income, but based on my embarrassingly-many years managing a McD's, there's a market of quality people who will work for way less money than you'd ever expect in return for a fun work environment and extremely flexible hours. In my experience, 99% of them were in relationships where their partner was the primary money earner and they were just working to get out of the house.

My sister is in that exact same boat.

She's 45, and has not worked in 22 years. Now that all of the kids are older and 2 of them are in college shes looking for something to do, and a supplement to the income since even though my Bro-In Law makes a lot of money, having 2 kids currently in college and having 2 more going in 3 years can put a significant drain on the income.

 

[GfPQqmcRKUvP]

You should walk into CVS, Ann Taylor, Home Depot or a host of other retail stores where the average employee age is probably 35 or even 40...

Yes, but those old people at Home Depot? Millionaires, a lot of them, from Home Depot stock options.

 

[CalBoy]

I've been to several Apple Stores in the Bay Area and here's what I've noticed:

San Francisco (the one near Powell St) is staffed by slightly older people (early 30s late 20s types); I went in the middle of a Friday if that has any relevance.

Valley Fair Mall (near or in San Jose) is staffed by a lot more college students and I'm guessing San Jose State supplies a lot of them.

Dublin (Stoneridge Mall) is staffed by teenagers. They all look like they're between 17 and 22. Since the area is reasonably wealthy I doubt very many of them work for a wage and probably do it more for the discount.

 

[Unspeaked]

There are alot of 30+ people working retail, but whether they're being paid a living wage is debatable. I'm always amazed that anyone can afford to pay the rent working retail, especially if they're in a big city.

Yeah, a lot of these people are either living with family, or in one of the increasingly common I'll-have-a-roommate-until-I-die scenarios that were almost unheard of even a decade ago.

The Apple store wants to project a hip, youthful boutique-y feel in it's stores. Hence the minimalist architecture, and the all-black clad employees. It stands to reason that they'd hire a younger, more attractive set than the Best Buy pleated-dockers crowd. I also suspect that many of the older 'Apple Geniuses' are moonlighting IT professionals.

Wouldn't this be considered age discrimination?

Or are the old not a protected class?

Also, I thought nearly all the Apple Geniuses were full time, making it hard for them to do it as a moonlighting gig...

For the most part of the 3 apple stores Ive been to in Chicago they seem to be mostly staffed with 20-30 year olds a few managerial types that seem to be 40+ and theres always one or two employees(for some reason usually female) that appear to be 50+

Yes, this sounds very close to the city scenarios I've seen. Right down the the oldest person in the store always being female!

Yes, but those old people at Home Depot? Millionaires, a lot of them, from Home Depot stock options.

Could be. I only said they were old, I never said they weren't well off...

 

[CashGap]

So I've been to a fair number of Apple Stores and I've noticed something odd.

Well, not so much odd as interesting.

It seems that the urban based Apple Stores are made up almost entirely of college or college-aged employees, with maybe 1 or 2 older employees (30-40 years of age).

Sometimes, some of the geniuses at these stores are also 30+, but not by much.

However, at the suburban stores I've been to, it seems as if most of the employees are 30+, and even several 40+ employees work there. The college aged kids make up no more than 25% of the store employees, where they're close to 75% in the urban stores.

I realize a lot of this has to do with demographics of cities and suburbs, but I just thought it was interesting.

Has anyone else noticed this in the stores they've been to?

And, out of curiosity, how old is the oldest person you've seen working at an Apple Store, in any position? Obviously, you'd have to estimate (unless you saw their driver's license or something). There's one I saw who was probably around 55.

It's not rocket science, but working at the Apple Store does require a bit more savvy than working at the grocery store.

Folks with enough savvy to work at the Apple Store have, for the most part, found something more rewarding (financial or otherwise) by mid-life.

I think Apple would love to fill out their demographic pie chart with some older sales associates, but they probably receive very few qualified applicants in the older age range willing to work for the equilibrium wage.

 

[saltyzoo]

It's a simple case of who is going to want to work at a "new age", "high-tech" store. Most of the "older" folks I know can't stand to even go into an Apple store let alone work there.

 

[Virgil-TB2]

There are alot of 30+ people working retail, but whether they're being paid a living wage is debatable. ...

This is why you don't see a lot of 30-40's employees, and also why if you do see an older person they are a lot older. Personally I hope to retire at 55 in a few years, but I don't intend to sit on my ass. I am hoping there will be an Apple store in my town when that happens and I will definitely apply. So I might be one of those ancient apple retail employees you occasionally see in not too many years. In other words the job is good for older people who just need a second income to the minimalist retirement cheque.

... The Apple store wants to project a hip, youthful boutique-y feel in it's stores. Hence the minimalist architecture, and the all-black clad employees. It stands to reason that they'd hire a younger, more attractive set than the Best Buy pleated-dockers crowd. ...

I haven't ever applied to an Apple store, but I think you are mostly wrong on this one. If you eliminated the word "youthful" in the first sentence and put in "modern" I think you'd be closer to the truth. It's also worth noting that in most western countries, hiring only youth workers would be considered a human rights violation.

What Apple is looking for according to my sources are friendly, knowledgeable, helpful people that are enthusiastic about the product. This eliminates most old folks as the majority of them won't know much about computers in general, and can hardly be considered "peppy" or people-oriented at that stage of life. It does however include "cool" old people like "John" on the Leopard video, and aging mac-heads who sill have a spring in their step and a positive attitude.

I think if I work on my attitude, I might squeak by and get hired someday.

 

[Unspeaked]

It does however include "cool" old people like "John" on the Leopard video, and aging mac-heads who sill have a spring in their step and a positive attitude.

Exactly.

Sometimes, people tend to act as if Apple didn't exist before the iPod - or at the very least, the iMac.

This especially seem to be the attitude of the under 21 crowd, which is understandable.

They forget that Apple had a cult following for almost twenty years before the iMac was released...

 

[Fuzzbear]

Yeah, a lot of these people are either living with family, or in one of the increasingly common I'll-have-a-roommate-until-I-die scenarios that were almost unheard of even a decade ago.




Wouldn't this be considered age discrimination?

Or are the old not a protected class?

Also, I thought nearly all the Apple Geniuses were full time, making it hard for them to do it as a moonlighting gig...





Yes, this sounds very close to the city scenarios I've seen. Right down the the oldest person in the store always being female!




Could be. I only said they were old, I never said they weren't well off...

alot of the older people that work at home depot are actually union electricians/plumbers/carpenters they make good money.

 

[Kamera RAWr]

Dublin (Stoneridge Mall) is staffed by teenagers. They all look like they're between 17 and 22. Since the area is reasonably wealthy I doubt very many of them work for a wage and probably do it more for the discount.

Hey now, Stoneridge Mall is in Pleasanton, I thought

Dublin is on one side of 580 and Pleasanton on is on the other side

 

[CalBoy]

Hey now, Stoneridge Mall is in Pleasanton, I thought

Dublin is on one side of 580 and Pleasanton on is on the other side

You're right! I always just call it Dublin because if we go there, we also visit my uncle who lives in Dublin.

Stupid small towns with nothing better to do!

 

[odinsride]

When I bought my Macbook last April at the Tyson's Corner store, the woman who helped me was in her 40's I believe. She said she was an English professor at a college nearby (I didn't ask why she was also working at an Apple Store).

 

[RevolutionOne]

The oldest staff at the branch in the UK I used to work at were about 30 to 40. They were mostly management staff.

I can think of 2 Mac Specialist staff who were also in late 30s to 40s.

about 80% of staff were aged between 17 and 25

 

[Unspeaked]

The oldest staff at the branch in the UK I used to work at were about 30 to 40. They were mostly management staff.

I can think of 2 Mac Specialist staff who were also in late 30s to 40s.

about 80% of staff were aged between 17 and 25

The London store seemed particularly young to me. I wondered if other UK locations were like that...

 

[blairwillis]

I've seen employees in Apple retail stores who appear to be in their mid 50s to 60s.

 

[Redge]

I've seen employees in Apple retail stores who appear to be in their mid 50s to 60s.

Same observation at Laval's Apple Store (Canada).

 

[Fearless Leader]

In either the Nashville or Orlando (I'm sorry can't remember, you'd think I would though) I saw a guy in his late 50's to early 60's.

But mainly under 30 in the Louisville store and Nashville.