At Apple, Customer Service Is In - Select Games And Hardware Are Out (AAPL)

Contrary to popular belief, grandma isn't the only one who would like help setting up an e-mail account.

Apple AAPL is about to remove 32 games and an unspecified number of hardware peripherals from its stores to make room for a new service.

According to The Loop, this is all due to a new service – a personal in-store setup for new Mac users – that Apple launched earlier this year. Shoppers who take advantage of the service can receive help from an Apple employee who will guide them through the setup of their own e-mail and iTunes accounts, among other things. The service has been a hit thus far, inspiring Apple to expand the service.

As a result, more employees are going to be required to help out, and that means that Apple will have less room for physical products within the stores. Thus, the company is preparing to remove select software and hardware items from its shelves.

When it comes to hardware, third-party products are the items that are expected to disappear. Apple obviously has no desire to remove its own hardware – without it, the company wouldn't need to have a store.

Printers and scanners are among the items that Apple could eliminate. Hard drives are also an option.

Consumers who are concerned about this adjustment can rest easy knowing that Apple still plans to stock and sell these items. But instead of keeping them out on the shelf, Apple employees will recommend the unseen items whenever they fit with a customer's purchase.

Roughly 80% of the Apple stores are slated to go through the aforementioned changes.