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The Ouya game console will go on sale in stores, shortly after it ships to backers of it's Kickstarter drive. Amazon.com, Best Buy, GameStop and Target will be stocking the Android-powered console when it goes on sale to the general public in June, after orders on the Ouya website ship in April, and after the Kickstarter backers receive theirs in March.
Target is joining RadioShack in a brief iPhone 5 sale. The deal is in-store only, and essentially identical to RadioShack's, providing $20 off any AT&T model of the phone until December 15th. That makes the hardware potentially as cheap as $180, albeit with a two-year contract.
Black Friday e-commerce spending by US shoppers has passed the $1 billion milestone for the first time. The amount of online retail activity for Friday, November 23rd has been called the "heaviest online spending day to date in 2012," with sales increasing 26 percent compared to Black Friday last year.
The Nintendo Wii U won't become available for sale in the US until November 18, but potentially interested buyers can try the system out starting November 5. Nearly 5,000 demonstration booths will be set up across US retailers that include Best Buy, GameStop, Target, Walmart, and Toys 'R' Us. They will either let shoppers play one of the launch titles or offer a video presentation of the console's features.
After exhausting its current inventory of Amazon products, Walmart will no longer carry Amazon's Kindle tablets and e-readers. This according to an internal memo obtained by Reuters, as well as confirmation from a source familiar with Walmart's operations. The decision, making Walmart the second major retail chain to stop carrying Kindle products, is said to be an attempt on Walmart's part to curb competition from Amazon's e-retail unit.
Two major third-party US retailers, Best Buy and Target, have instituted new price cuts for the iPhone, notes AllThingsD. Target is now selling 16GB AT&T and Verizon models of the iPhone 4S for $179 on contract. Best Buy, meanwhile, has cut the price for the 8GB iPhone 4 for both carriers to just $50.
Target, which just recently announced it would expand its Apple Store-Within-A-Store (SWAS) program, is now discounting new iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S unite by $50 with a two-year contract, reports 9to5Mac. The new prices in-store offer the iPhone 4 8GB at $50 and the 4S 16GB at $150 with either AT&T or Verizon.
Apple is likely to increase its footprint outside of its existing Apple Stores, according to analysts at Piper Jaffray. The iPhone and iPad maker is looking to expand on pilot projects that have seen Apple "store-within-a-store" (SWAS) popping up in select Walmart and Target stores. Taken nationally, such a move would tremendously expand Apple's retail reach, as the two big box retailers have significantly more rural distribution than does Apple.
A Colorado resident, Jerald Bovino, has filed a new lawsuit against Apple, claiming that the company's Smart Cover infringes a 2005 patent. Bovino owns patent 6,977,809, which describes a "Portable Computer Case." One similarity between the patent concept and the Smart Cover is a series of visible "rib" lines.
Apple in its customary pre-launch details both confirmed a launch time for the new iPad and outlined the next wave of countries after the initial March 16 date. True to recent leaks, the first 10 countries will start selling the new tablet at retail at 8AM through at least Apple stores. Best Buy, RadioShack, Sam's Club, Target, and Walmart will also have the iPad, although some of these are likely to open later.
Target and Walmart have joined in the development of yet another mobile payment system, insides gave out on Thursday. The two were said by Wall Street Journal's contacts to now be part of a group with about 24 member store chains hoping to create a standard that, though not directly named, would use NFC. Consulting firm BetterBuyDesign's Steve Mott corroborated the plan by revealing its involvement in the project, with word that big chains as well as drugstores, fast food restaurants, and vending machine firms were involved.
An upgraded Apple TV media hub might come sooner than thought after signs emerged that multiple stores ran low on stock. Amazon, Best Buy, Buy.com, Radio Shack, and Target all show the device either as out of stock or taking weeks to ship. Apple and others do have supply, but it follows a pattern of third-party resellers usually running out first.
Target has confirmed plans to host Apple mini-stores in its retail chain, Reuters reports. Initially, at least, the effort will be limited to 25 Target outlets, a part of a new "the Shops at Target" initiative revealed in New York. Separately, some other companies getting special treatment will be Miami's The Webster and San Francisco's The Candy Store, who will be featured in Target outlets and web sales for six weeks beginning in early May.
Apple is aiming at opening new store-within-a-store outlets in Target later this year, an AppleInsider source claims. The company's initial plans are said to be limited to 25 larger Target stores, ones which are nevertheless in areas unable to support a separate Apple Store. Target has some 1,752 shops in the US; by contrast, there are only 245 Apple Stores in the country.
Certain local Target and Walmart stores have at least temporarily been selling the Amazon Kindle Fire for $123.38. Images have surfaced showing the Fire, as a limited time special in a Trumbull, Connecticut Target store for 35 percent off the normal selling price of $199. Photos of Walmart matching that price have also appeared on the web.
New analyst data may back up claims that Apple did extremely well on Black Friday. Deutsche Bank analyst Chris Whitmore says his firm checked with over 200 locations, divided between about 100 Apple Stores and 100 AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, Best Buy, Walmart, and Target outlets. Roughly 75 percent of Apple Stores were sold out of the iPhone 4S by the end of Friday, although by Saturday that number had dropped to 30 percent.
Best Buy and Target took turns at Thanksgiving deals with separate Apple discounts. Best Buy's iPad 2 lineup saw $45 taken off the price of every model. As of Thursday afternoon, all Wi-Fi versions save for the 64GB white model had sold out online, but the 3G versions were still in stock.
Early Black Friday deals for gamers have started early and include a $145 Nintendo 3DS at Target and a $199 Xbox 360 bundle at Sam's Club. The usual price for a 3DS is $170, making the discount relatively steep for a system that's otherwise the same as usual.
Square, maker of the hardware and software required for vendors to take credit card payments, has recently landed Sir Richard Branson of Virgin Group fame as one of its investors. This is the third piece of positive news for the company, which recently received $100 million in funding from Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers. Branson's investment amount isn't being specified, however.
Nintendo's significant price drop of its 3DS console that's scheduled to go live tomorrow is being pre-empted by some retailers. This includes retail Walmart and Target stores in the US, though the web pages for the portable games console do not yet reflect the change. In Canada, Best Buy and Costco have already dropped the price to $170 from $250, which is a 30 percent price drop.
Radio Shack kept the discounts going on iPhones Monday with both discounts and trade-ins. Every iPhone has been dropped by $30 for new and upgrading buyers up to and including August 20. Existing owners who swap an iPhone 3G or 3GS get as much as $150 towards an iPhone 4, depending on the exchanged models.
Apple is going beyond its usual borders to hire a replacement for outgoing retail VP Ron Johnson, contacts said late Tuesday. Headhunter firm Egon Zehnder is being tapped not just to look for someone from outside Apple but to go outside of the US. A WSJ source understood Apple CEO Steve Jobs wanted to be open to foreign hires.
Retail chains are beginning to discount the iPhone 4, reports note. Radio Shack has a sale running through Saturday, in which 16 and 32GB models are priced at $170 and $270 on contract instead of their regular $199 and $299. A $100 trade-in credit for previous iPhones applies, potentially lowering the cost of an iPhone 4 to just $70.
Target is poised to drop prices on iPhones in what could be a sign of clearing stock ahead of a new model. Separate scoops have both shown the retailer dropping prices by at least $30 on iPhones depending on the carrier. Verizon iPhones will get the steepest drops, which in Phone Arena's leak saw prices going down to $150 and $250 for the 16GB and 32GB iPhone 4 models respectively. AT&T devices would unusually cost $10 more, Engadget saw, although the iPhone 3GS at $20 would be one of the cheapest stable prices for an iPhone to date.
iRiver made a big splash in the US on Monday with word of not just its first major e-reader for the US but a first for the industry. The Story HD is the first dedicated e-reader to support Google eBooks and can buy or otherwise grab books over Wi-Fi. Google's platform gives it an edge as any company can integrate it without needing an official app, possibly preventing lock-in with a particular device.
(Updated with an Apple statement) Apple lost a cornerstone of its retail efforts on Tuesday as its retail VP Ron Johnson exited to become the CEO of JC Penney. He would replace Mike Ullman in the top spot on November 1 and would join the board of directors on August 1. Ullman would stay on as executive chairman of the board.
The Eee Pad Transformer from ASUS will not ship to those who ordered it at Target, Phandroid reported. The retail chain e-mailed those who ordered the device early, informing them the 16GB Wi-Fi device isn't available from any of its sources. The sudden cancellations have been seen as more evidence that ASUS has had to rapidly curb supply.
The unusual sellout of the Eee Pad Transformer at its US launch this week was due to its low supply rather than an overabundant supply, AllThingsD was told this week. JPMorgan analyst Mark Moskowitz found that most Best Buy and Target stores are yet to receive any stock of the apparently popular tablet. In his informal survey, none of the stores he spoke to had received the Android 3.0 hardware, making any sellouts more likely due to low stock.
One more source on Monday night has helped back suspicions that the white iPhone 4 would reach Best Buy on April 27. The inventory system shows both AT&T and Verizon models in either capacity by using placeholder names such as "BBY63LD" but putting them in the "iPhone hardware" category. BGR lacked pricing, though it's broadly assumed the color won't change the pricing.
Toys R Us has quietly confirmed its plans to carry the iPad 2. The company now has a shopping page telling buyers which stores should carry the tablet. No online store entry exists, though one wasn't expected since no third-party resellers can currently offer it for sale online.
Amazon up-ended the e-reader market on Monday with word of an ad-sponsored version of the Kindle. Called just the Kindle with Special Offers, it will have ads both on the bottom of the home page and on its idle screens. The new reader would drop the price by $25 over a Wi-Fi version and should ship both online and through Best Buy and Target on May 3.
Virgin Mobile's LG Optimus V has seen an unexpectedly high amount of demand based on first-hand looks. Every retailer that carries the ultra-budget Android 2.2 phone, including Best Buy, Target, and Walmart, has remained backordered for at least the past two weeks. Android and Me didn't check, but Virgin's online store also lists it as "temporarily out of stock."
About 7,200 iPad 2 tablets changed hands at the 5th Avenue Apple Store alone on launch day, a tipster said Monday night. The tally suggests that the 1,109 initial buyers were joined by thousands more within the hours after the 5PM opening. SAI didn't get buyer attach rates, though many are known to have bought two or more for friends and family.
Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster saw headcounts from long iPad 2 lineups as a sign that Apple may have had breakthrough launch day sales. He believed 400,000 to 500,000 iPads had sold based on increases at multiple Apple stores, especially flagships. The lineup at the 5th Avenue store in New York City had 1,109 in line on opening versus 730 for the original iPad; Minneapolis' Mall of America store more than tripled its lineup, from 105 to 334.
Target quietly said this weekend that it would carry the iPad 2 on launch day. The retail chain plans to join Best Buy and Walmart. A spokesman told PCWorld the company's trade-in program would take original iPads on March 13 for those who aren't comfortable with selling the device off themselves.
Stock of the iPod classic is on the decline at several retailers, a report observes. At Apple's online store, for instance, the silver Classic is now shipping in one to three days, as compared to 24 hours last week. Best Buy's website notes that the same color has gone from one-day shipping last week to being backordered by one to to two weeks. At Target, shipping times are now listed as two to four weeks.
An unconfirmed rumor from a recently reliable source today pointed to Apple launching the iPad in March. The company would have a "small event" to kick off the new tablet in late February and would ship it sometime in March, releasing it slightly earlier than last year. Reporting site MacOtakara wasn't sure which countries would be included in the launch beyond the US.
Best Buy expanded the reach of its iPad sales this weekend by offering them through its online store. The big-box chain is now selling both Wi-Fi and 3G versions in all capacities. Prices are virtually identical to those at other outlets but are currently accompanied by a 20 percent off sale on some accessories,
Target confirmed rumors today and said it would start carrying the iPhone as of November 7. The deal will see both the iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4 reach the 846 stores that have a Target Mobile section. Prices weren't mentioned but should cover the same range as for other retailers.
Borders said it would start up multiple deals, beginning October 31, in what's already considered a bid to recover sagging sales. The company dropped the price of its core readers, the Kobo eReader and the Aluratek Libre, down to $100; the Libre deal lasts until November 15. It should also be giving away five free books with each Kobo Wireless eReader at its usual $140 price, and Sony Readers will get a free cover and light combo.
Target will begin carrying the iPhone in the near future, sources tell AppleInsider. The big-box retailer only recently began selling the iPad, expanding an existing selection of Apple gear. The iPhone would tie into the addition of cellphone centers at 850 Target outlets, just in time for the holiday shopping season. The program is being run in cooperation with Radio Shack, which is providing the system needed for in-store activations.
Most Target stores may only be stocked with 20 to 30 iPads in the first wave of shipments that will arrive on October 3. Some of the heavy-traffic locations are expected to get more supplies, ranging from 50 to 80 devices, while all stores will get "ample accessories."
Target on Friday confirmed plans to sell the iPad in its stores. The retail chain will carry four models of Apple's tablet as of October 3 at pricing starting from the same $499 as Apple itself. Executive Merchandising VP Kathee Tesija didn't say which models would be cut from the usual six, but both 3G and Wi-Fi versions will be available.
Apple may make an aggressive inroad into the Amazon Kindle's territory with an expansion into Target stores if a leak is true. Six versions of a mystery device have appeared in Target's inventory system, all of which line up with Apple's iPad pricing and which would show up October 3. The Engadget source backed up suspicions with photos of a PDA that have the devices going into the Digital Audio section of the store, where both iPods and the Kindle co-exist.
Amazon landed a major retail deal today that will let it sell the third-generation Kindle at Best Buy stores sometime in the fall. Both the Wi-Fi only and 3G versions will arrive at the same $139 and $189 prices as on Amazon's own pages. The costlier and larger DX isn't part of the plans.
Staples today said it would be the second US retailer to sell the third-generation Kindle. The office store will carry both the six-inch Wi-Fi and 3G versions of the Kindle as well as the Kindle DX. It plans to both stock the hardware and give users a chance to try the e-readers in the store.
A Democrat from Massachusetts, Rep. Bill Delahunt, has proposed new legislation that would remove the protections online retailers have enjoyed in terms of state sales taxes. At present, people buying from an out-of-state website are not required to pay the sales taxes that would normally be owed at a retail shop. The US Supreme Court has ruled that without new law, out-of-state retailers cannot be made to collect sales tax.
Amazon today said that the Kindle e-reader will be available at all Target retail stores starting June 6. The device has slowly been appearing at Target stores, but this will be an all-encompassing release and makes Target Amazon's full official retail partner. Thus far, Target has mostly been selling the Sony Reader, with prominent displays, accessories and book certificates.
Amazon today confirmed rumors and said it would ship the Kindle to Target retail stores on April 25th. The rollout will see the six-inch version of the e-reader arrive in test form at both Target's pioneering store in Minneapolis store as well as 102 stores in southern Florida. Pricing will stay the same $259 as it is online.
A surprise rumor late Friday has pointed to Barnes & Noble planning a rapid expansion of its Nook readers that could start in the next few weeks. To start, a stripped-back Nook is said in the works and would drop 3G, using only Wi-Fi. The reader would cost just $199 and would be ready before the end of spring, the Gizmodo insider said.
