“Culturally speaking, Apple’s products have always been marketed as ‘high-end’” products. Which is what most analysts will tell you is confining the company to a sliver of market share in the computer industry. In the portable media player category, Apple dominates the space. No other competitors can even come close to Apple’s market share. This has happened because Apple has made the iPods so attractively priced, and so readily available that anybody, at anytime can buy one. With the iPhone, Apple will eventually bring the same strategy forward, this is inevitable,” Aviv Hadar writes for MacBlogz. “But what this may lead to has perhaps not been focused on for more than a moment amidst all of the ongoing headlines.”
“Macs at Walmart? This would be a huge move for Apple,” Hadar writes. “Could Apple be loosening up its controlling ways? Not unlikely.”
MacDailyNews Note: For the double-negative averse: “likely.”
Hadar continues, “The bleak reality sits within product availability and pricing these days. The economy is not in a good place and even moderately high priced products are looked at as too expensive.”
MacDailyNews Take: Not according to a study conducted by ChangeWave in early November, 33% of notebook buyers and 27% of desktop buyers plan to buy an Apple Mac in next 90 days. Continuing with our theme of actual verifiable facts, in the U.S., Apple Mac units sales are growing at a rate 30 times that of PC market. To us it doesn’t sound at all like Macs are looked at as too expensive.
Hadar continues, “By placing its Mac computers at Walmart, Apple could be making them available to an entire section of consumers that have never before been exposed. Not lower-level consumers per say, but consumers that are more interested in saving money. More interested in squeezing everything they can out of their hard earned dollar. And there is nothing wrong with that mentality. The idea that Apple’s products are only for those that can afford them should be tossed aside. Apple is a computer company, OS X is a direct competitor to Windows, and increasing market share should continuously be a high priority for them.”
MacDailyNews Take: We can’t ship junk. There are thresholds we can’t cross because of who we are. The difference is, we don’t offer stripped-down, lousy products. – Apple CEO Steve Jobs, August 7, 2007
Hadar continues, “The initial hesitance that Apple may see from its devoted customers and brand devotees should be taken with a grain of salt by the industry. No matter what analysts say about Apple’s brand devotion, consumers use Apple products because of how they function, not the social implication that comes along with the shiny Apple logo.”
MacDailyNews Take: Sounds good and may even be true of the majority of Mac users. Now, when it comes to the more devoted Mac users, people who would visit MacDailyNews for example, we have the results of an poll we ran over the last few days in which 46% responded “No” to the question “Should Apple offer a $99 iPhone in Wal-Mart?”
Hadar continues, “Apple’s products are not outrageously overpriced when compared to similar spec’d machines from PC rivals such as HP, Dell and Sony. Apple offers an entry level Macbook, which is a more than capable machine, at the sweet spot of $999. Walmart shoppers who have never before known they had a choice will realize that a PC with Windows is not their only option.”
MacDailyNews Take: Untrue. Wal-Mart shoppers have been offered the option of cheaply-priced Linux PCs. Wal-Mart pulled them from shelves due to poor sales this past spring. At the time, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. spokeswoman Melissa O’Brien explained, “This really wasn’t what our customers were looking for.” To which we replied, “Yeah. They were looking for Slim Jims, pro wrestling posters, 56×29 Faded Glory jeans, and beer helmets.”
Hadar continues, “We here at MacBlogz welcome the idea of Macs being sold at Walmart, or any other credible retailer for that matter. The bigger the Macintosh user base, the more ubiquitous Apple’s technologies will get, thus elevating the company’s initiatives to the forefront of the PC industry.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: The allure of market share is strong, but wouldn’t Macs at Wal-Mart have the great potential of being neglected and poorly displayed (Think Sears) while also resulting in diluting the brand that Apple has worked so hard to build and differentiate from the PC box assemblers (Dell, HP, etc.)?
Maybe Mac minis. Or maybe even Mac minis, the low-end 20-inch iMac, and the white MacBook at Wal-Mart. Maybe. But, we type even that with great reservation. “More harm than good!” SteveJack bellows down the cavernous halls of our palatial headquarters. Tell us what you think below and also in our poll – located in the upper left column.
honestly it would remove the “shine” from my apple. i get the mass reach, but at what cost. fan boys will continue to visit the temples of glass and stainless steel built for us, but i cant see anyone asking the sales clerk walmart apple to explain sync issues with mobileme.
I remember the first go-around with Best Buy. Horrible. Walmart would not be any better. It’s a poor economy for Walmart shoppers too.
Steve Jack, as always, is correct.
Wal-mart would be terrible for Apple… the store has a way of turning everything it sells into looking like sh*t.
Mac minis and white macbooks *maybe*.
No. Don’t do it.
My main concern would be that Apple sales would increase exponentially, beyond its ability for quality control and, more important, have a crippling affect on tech support.
Selling Macs at Wal Mart would be a mistake. Because of the perceived price differentials, an educated staff is needed to explain the differences between Macs and the little crap box Windows PCs.
Apple does a lot of advertising and between Best Buy, the Apple On-line store, and Apple’s Retail Stores, access to Macs is easy for anybody.
Target would be a much better fit.
Sooner, or later, you’re going to see Macs in Wal-Mart. But by then Mac share will be well over 20%, and won’t require a knowledgeable seller, as they do now.
When that happens DELL is dead meat, because the only thing they’ll be selling by then, will be $499 net machines with no margins.
In my position an Apple customer of 30+ years, a Wal-Mart customer for even longer, and a long-time Cocoa developer, I strongly endorse the sale of entry-level Macs at Wal-Mart.
Wal-Mart is a well-managed company, like Apple, and I can see a mutually beneficial relationship between these two great American companies and their customers. I know both of these companies very well, and I’m absolutely confident that they can have a successful business relationship.
I lived through the 90’s where Apple tried selling mac at basic electronic resellers. Horrible, horrible, horrible! I honestly don’t even want to see Wallyworld selling iPod touches or iPhones.
The help you get when buying from the Apple retail store or a good VAR is worth it’s weight in gold. That can make a tremendous difference to a new mac owner. Apple knows this and this is why Apple launched it’s own retail store chain. Selling at Wallyworld would be a huge step backwards and not help Apple or it’s users in the long run.
The deal Apple has with Best Buys is ok and IMHO about a low as Apple should be willing to go.
All logic and reasoning aside, I am all over driving to Wal Mart at 3am just to play with the Macs.
The ARE made in China, after all.
WalMart does not “display” computers.
They just stack the cartons in the aisle, with a big sign on top announcing what their great low price is.
All I have to say is this:
Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price
http://www.walmartmovie.com
This would not be a good idea. Does no one remember the Performa Macs? They were sold at my local WalMart growing up. I don’t think they ever sold one. I shop at WalMart for groceries and stuff like underwear and socks. I would never want to by a computer there. They only have the cheap stuff! The only exception being iPods. And those are already well priced. Just my 2 cents.
Macs at WalMart? YUCK!!!
Beowulf, Wal-Mart did sell those Performas. I remember the displays. They put them on screen saver, locked them with passwords, and took the ball out of the mouse so you couldn’t even move the mouse. They ended up selling them at clearance prices. My brother bought 2 and I bought one.
Selling at Wal-Mart is a bad idea unless Apple gets them to display them properly.
Big mistake. Right up there with licensing OS-X to third party machine makers. Not so good.
I cannot begin to tell you how many clueless people have asked me if Macs were so good, why doesn’t Wal-Mart sell them. Really.
However these are the same people that smugly seem to think their $400 Dell is as good as my $2,500 24″ iMac.
Macs at Wal-Mart?
What’s next?
Macs at Dollar General?
macs don’t fit at wal-mart
My AP Lang. teacher will fail me if I use “Not unlikely”
Well, if Macs were available at WM, they’d have to be setup like at BB with their own trained staff, and table area. That won’t happen.
…the earth would cease rotation.
MDN said: To which we replied, “Yeah. They were looking for Slim Jims, pro wrestling posters, 56×29 Faded Glory jeans, and beer helmets.”
Wow. A fine example of Elitism. If a conservative said something similar about any group it would of course be racism.
This is a good case where the markets should be allowed to decide and why do you even care if they make the attempt. Hello! If it’s not a good idea do you really think those involved will keep doing it?
The fact that Wal-Mart is even interested says something about Apple products.
The world is waking up to the reality that Macs are just better machines. Enjoy.
WHY would Apple undercut their own stores -and themselves- by placing their flagship product in retail’s biggest toilet?
What next? BMW starts selling through WalMart as well?
Some things just shouldn’t happen.