Select Technology Group has been a little-known name in the West Midlands – until now. The Apple Premium Partner has just launched a flagship outlet in Merry Hill, but as its managing director explains to HENRY CARPENTER, this is more than just a shop.
There’s a new member of the Merry Hill retail family – and it’s quite possibly the most significant for some time.
You might not have heard of Select – the name above the door in the shopping centre – but within the store you’ll find a panoply of items from arguably the world’s most recognisable and iconic tech brand, Apple.
The Select Technology Group is a premium partner of the tech colossus and it’s a mono-brand partner, meaning it is aligned to Apple products.
And when we’re talking premium partner, in terms of retail experience, the Select APP (Apple Premium Partner) stores are the highest level of partnership in the UK. In fact, there’s only one such store currently on the UK mainland designed to the same stringent Apple spec, and that’s in Selfridges in London.
So the fact that this is opening in Merry Hill is big news for the shopping centre, it’s big news for the region, and it’s also big news for Select.
Before we examine the whys and wherefores of the move, it’s worth gaining a clearer idea of what Select is, as it’s not a name seen before in Merry Hill.
It is made up of two key retail brands – one being the Apple Premium Partner, and the other a retail organisation called DID Electrical, which might be described as the Irish equivalent of Currys.
With the two combined, we’re talking about a 310 million euro company, with 22 Apple-focused stores in the UK and Ireland, and 24 DID stores in Ireland.
It’ll come as no surprise then to learn that the group’s headquarters are in Dublin, Ireland, which is where we find Ciaran McCormack, the group’s managing director, who’s in a decidedly chipper mood a couple of days before launch.
First off, why was Merry Hill chosen as the location for Select’s first foray into the Midlands rather than, say, a city centre?
“It’s been on our radar for quite some time,” says McCormack. “Not only is it the eighth largest shopping centre in the UK but when you look at the demographic of the area it is a significantly important location. There are something like 2.8 million people within a 45-minute drive.
“Add to that the fact that it houses about 250 retail stores, approximately 18 million people pass through it every year and then layer in its 10,000 parking spaces, and it makes for a very interesting proposition.
“Merry Hill is certainly a prime location. The problem with prime locations is that they can take a while to become available. You have to wait, you have to be patient, and you have to wait for the right location to open up.”
Before we look deeper at the store and what it means to its regional consumer, business and education customer base, it’s worth noting the history of the MD himself. Not only is his an interesting path but it also goes some way to explaining the partner landscape which Select occupies.
Ciaran McCormack has had a different career path than you might expect. He started professional life as a magician. He paid his way through college doing magic shows, and after a few twists and turns, ended up working in education, designing learning programmes and projects within schools using Apple technology.
It seems strange to think that even 20 years ago, iPhones and iPads didn’t exist, but the young McCormack was already a devotee of Apple technology.
He designed a number of projects using the tech in schools. With his education hat on, he became a consultant with the brand and eventually joined Apple as a commercial channel manager, looking after the resellers in Ireland.
After a few years he left Apple to become the CEO of Select, which has gone through various iterations – with him at the helm – leading to the current status quo.
In short, McCormack lives and breathes Apple, and there’s no mistaking the passion in is voice when he outlines what visitors to the Merry Hill store will find.
“Everything you touch and feel in any of Apple stores is premium,” he says. “What sets the retail experience apart is that you can hold and feel the device you’re about to purchase and that is vital when making a considered purchase like an iPhone or MacBook.
“Alongside the core Apple products we deliver supplementary products that work with the main Apple device. It could be a case, cable, pencil or something that even connects to an iPhone, like a massage gun or portable projector.
“Behind the scenes there is a completely authorised service centre. Our qualified engineers are on site to provide repair solutions either within a warranty scenario or for just an old-school screen replacement.”
As a premium partner, Select have the widest range of Apple products available in Merry Hill.
However, as one of the largest companies in the world, Apple has incredibly high standards, and that’s what it expects from its premium partners as well – setting Select apart.
“We build the store in collaboration with them,” explains McCormack. “We offer feedback but it is an Apple design. They have their own very brilliant ideas around the way retail should work and we adhere to those guidelines. They design the guidelines of the experience that they expect – how it looks, how it feels, and we execute as per the plan.”
While he speaks so enthusiastically, lovingly almost, about the in-store retail experience, we go back to another key reason for identifying Merry Hill as a premium site and that is its proximity to the Birmingham and West Midlands business and education communities.
Select does not just partner Apple in the consumer retail sphere, it is also an education and B2B partner,
Apple goods, particularly iPads, are sold by Select to schools to help students with their learning journey.
“It’s quite a special relationship because the devices have to be managed from a security perspective, to make sure they’re safe and protected in the classroom,” continues McCormack.
“We have Apple premium education partner status, and we also have a B2B reseller status in both the UK and Ireland.”
Select sells to SMBs and enterprises for the use of employees working either in the office or at home. While they are often sold through dedicated reseller account managers, the retail site is also key – not just on an experiential level but also because of the servicing capabilities which are on site.
“We have trained all of our retail staff to be what we call ‘select gurus’. If we have a walk-in from a B2B or school customer, we are able to support them in the retail, learning or service repair environments. Our strategy is to ensure all our retail stores can support our B2B customers and their education customers.”
When asked what industry sectors benefit businesses most from embarking on a relationship with Apple, McCormack can’t answer – not because he’s stuck for words but because he says it’s impossible to pigeon-hole partner profiles.
“We’ve dealt with major airlines that have implemented iPads for their electronic flight bags in the cockpit,” he says by way of an example.
“We’ve partnered with printers and designers who use them in their everyday business, accountants find them ideal machines to use, they are popular with architects and agencies . . . the list goes on.
“And while there might be devices out there that on the face of it are cheaper to buy, the total cost of ownership is actually lower than other products because Apple’s keep a residual value over several years. So the devices are an investment which also helps when you are looking to finance them.”
Flexibility is clearly a watchword when it comes to the attraction of the Apple reseller to B2B customers.
“We work with the business,” says McCormack. “If a business is looking for an easy device to use to take the business to the next level, Apple fits right in there.
“If a business is looking for something that’s going to last a long time and is heavily involved in what we call total cost of ownership – in other words how much it costs to own the device over its full term in real terms – then we can help with that by building the residual value of the device into the finance offering.
“We have our dedicated teams who are there to help businesses and their people navigate how best to use a Mac or other equipment in their place of work. That can range from how they might want to best deploy the product and how they connect to their VPN, to what system to use, whether its Microsoft Office or Google Workspace. And then of course there’s the crucial element on how best to manage security.”
McCormack sees finance packages as one of the key attractions for B2B customers. Many businesses in Birmingham and the West Midlands will have come across Propel Finance. The asset lender, which helps SMEs acquire business-critical equipment quickly and easily through their lease programmes, says it is proud to have recently partnered with Select and Apple with their new embedded finance product for business customers.
Select’s small business customers purchasing Macs, iPads, iPhones, Apple Watches and accessories will be able to access finance digitally, with various options available for multiple products through Select’s new business pay monthly offer.
As marketing and partnerships director for Propel, Julie Warren is a well-known and respected figure in the region’s corporate financial circles.
She says that the finance offering agreed with Select provides businesses with access to creative finance propositions, including equipment add-ons, upgrades, end-of-term trade-in and certified recycling.
“We are delighted to work with Apple’s channel partners in offering embedded finance propositions to their SMB customers,” she says.
“In short, our partnership enables businesses to access the latest Apple technology through affordable and adaptable payment options that align with their budgets and growth ambitions.
“With flexible terms of up to four years, customers can manage cashflow more effectively while staying at the forefront of innovation.
“The full proposition will be available through Select’s online platform, in-store and through Select’s small business team. It is done through a monthly payment model over 12 to 48 months, with no fees, real-time application decisions and credit availability for future device purchases.
“We’re really proud to support the launch of the new Select store at Merry Hill and wish the team every success.”
So there we have it, all bases covered: world-leading products for consumer and business in a prime location, with staff on hand – whether in advisory or servicing capacities – and flexible, creative financing options, all established and ready for customers.
It will be a busy Christmas for Select, and the launch at Merry Hill might just mark the beginning of a special relationship with the region’s business community.
