Tablet now 'fourth leg of the stool'

Much of Apple's June-quarter retail success can be linked back to the iPad, observes Needham analyst Charlie Wolf. Retail revenue grew 72.8 percent year-over-year, reaching $2.58 billion. While same-store Mac sales rose 21.8 percent, the iPad is believed to have helped non-Mac sales jump 106.3 percent. The device is the new "fourth leg of the stool" for Apple, actually replacing retail in importance behind the iPhone, Mac and iPod, says Wolf.

Nevertheless, retail accounted for 16.4 percent of Apple's global revenue in Q3 2010, an increase from 15.3 in 2009. Visitors per store grew 38.7 percent. "To place the [$2.58 billion revenue] number in perspective," adds Wolf, "Apple Store revenues in June were greater than Apple's total quarterly revenues from the second quarter of fiscal 1996 through the fourth quarter of fiscal 2004."

by MacNN Staff