The godfather of Apple’s retail stores is trying to reinvent shopping again, this time by getting rid of stores.
Ron Johnson, who left Apple in 2011 for a controversial stint as the CEO of J.C. Penney, is launching a high-end, on-demand delivery service for gadgets, according to several people who have talked to him about it. And he has recruited some former Apple employees, including one-time Apple VP Jerry McDougal, to help.
The effort will be a closely watched attempt to reinvent real-world shopping for the digital age as well as a third big act for the retail executive who was fired from his last job after 17 months.