Apple expands price matching policy at online store
updated 09:10 am EST, Mon November 22, 2004
Apple Store price matching
Apple has , including Power Mac G5, iMac G5, and iBook G4 models.
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Comments
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11/22, 12:15pm |
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go apple go
Just a thought... during all the boom of the 90's (even early 90's) none of the retailers helped to move much Apple product. Yes, a lot of that blame has to be put on Apple. BUT since, OS X and the iPod I haven't seen any retailers (in local areas I know) doing any better. Matter of fact, two went out of business BEFORE Apple started opening stores (we don't have any in our state).
Another thing these retailers need to think about - how many small or regional PC retailers do you see around? Matter of fact, how many national retailers do you see that JUST sell PCs or PC software? Maybe two or three true national - maybe? Just look at the Best Buy's, Compu USA's - they all rely on other products. Circuit City is about the only one that is a true national, computer only store (even then, they have TV's, game boxes, cell phones, PDAs, office/computer supplies). The retail game has change and for some reason many of these Apple only retails feel they deserve special treatment. What is more astonishing is some mac faithful also think they deserve special treatment. Forget that I say, let Apple do something RIGHT for a change - take care of itself.
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11/22, 12:33pm |
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but....
To be an "Apple Specialist" you need to have something like 75% of your business come from Apple product... so selling PC's and other things may seem like it's an option, it's not. If they sell under that 75% then they are just Apple Authorized, and there other perks they lose. I don't know many companies that are actually selling product at 10%, since why sell it if you are going to just give the things away?
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11/22, 12:56pm |
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Still inconsistent tho...
How about they make prices more consistent internationally. A Dual 2.5 is $2999 US which works out at today's exchange rate to £1614. Base UK price is £1871 so in the US it's £257 ($475) cheaper than in the UK, and that's before adding VAT (sales tax) at 17.5% after which it's £585 cheaper ($1082) to buy in the US. And I gather the price difference is WORSE in other countries.
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11/22, 12:59pm |
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Doesn't really matter...
...any worse than having more Apple dealers in town would (and consumers want that, but there is always saturation where only the big Wal-Marts can survive).
We just got an Apple Store in Des Moines. Yay. But we just bought an iBook from CompUSA. Why? Apple Store has far better employees, but CompUSA has an 18-month no interest financing thing going. That was the key.
For cash customers, it would then break down to who has the best environment to buy in. And if someone can beat me selling the same item at the SAME price (price 'matching'), guess what? They must be doing something better. No whining about that.
If any competing store can outsell you at the same price, it's time to rethink your customer service, location, store appearance, etc. (Now if Apple was undercutting price and not allowing resellers to go to those levels, I'd have an issue with that...)
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11/22, 01:08pm |
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re:Still inconsistent tho
very true:
A $1499 iMac on the U.S. store is $1999 on the Canadian store
but
A $1499 lowend Desktop on the U.S. store is $2099 on the Canadian store!!
Not only that kind of 'money-grab', but in reality should be the other way as our Canadian dollar has been steadily gaining on the U.S. dollar and now up at 83 cents.
The price should really be $1875 or so. They're forecasting our dollars at par in a year or so, wonder if they'll keep the obvious differences!?
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11/22, 03:12pm |
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Price competition
From my personal experience, I question whether this will really harm Apple's "competing" resellers.
I recently bought over $5,000 worth of hardware and software for the non-profit I work for. I approached several vendors for bids, and the local Apple Store was very firm about charging us full retail. When I asked for a break, the sales rep spent a couple of days consulting with his higher-ups and came back with the response that I was already getting a break, in the form of our tax exemption.
Now, our tax-exempt status is not a gift on the part of Apple. When a store charges sales tax, they are simply collecting it on behalf of the government. So Apple wasn't really discounting anything for us - they just wanted me to stop asking them for favors.
Needless to say, I bought everything on our shopping list from another reseller.
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Junior Member
Joined: Nov 1999
Silly
This "price matching" is really silly. First off, they limit it to a "10% discount." (How is that price MATCHING?) Secondly, they limit the price comparisons to only Apple authorized dealers. As far as I know, Apple restricts authorized dealers from selling their products at anything less than the MSRP already (which is why they have to create promotions like "free carrying bag!" or "free RAM upgrade!" in order to compete.)
I wouldn't be surprised if Apple's just using this as a honeypot to catch authorized Apple resellers that were undercutting them, so they can de-authorize them.