“Target Corporation and Dell Computer Corp. have both stopped selling Apple’s iPod after objecting to details of the company’s new dealer contract, sources have told Think Secret.”
ThinkSecret reports, “iPods have been marked for clearance at 1,148 Target stores nationwide, according to eyewitness reports. Sources report the clearance commenced on March 31. One Target employee who spoke with Think Secret said that the 10GB iPod for both Mac and Windows is now selling at a 15% discount, for $339.99 — below cost. The employee said that most stores won’t have the iPod in a display or on store shelves in full-view, instead storing it behind the counter. Additionally, he noted that a recent Target memo instructed employees not to count iPods with the store’s annual inventory. Meanwhile, Dell has also stopped selling the iPod, removing it from its online catalog. At press time, using Dell’s product search engine to find the iPod yielded search results of competing MP3 players from Archos and Creative Labs. It’s not known exactly what day Dell removed the iPod from its online product lineup, but it appears to have been removed in just the past week.”
Find out more about the contract dispute at ThinkSecret here.
… running to Target right now…