“Target said on Thursday that it planned to add Apple centers at 25 of its retail locations this year,” Stephanie Clifford reports for The New York Times.
“A Target spokeswoman, Dustee Jenkins, described the tests as ‘expanded displays’ of Apple products, but declined to say how the merchandise would be arranged or whether there would be Apple store-like displays to showcase it,” Clifford reports. “Target currently sells some Apple products, like iPads and iPods, but it does not sell Macintosh computers. Ms. Jenkins declined to comment on whether the test centers would include computers.”
Clifford reports, “Apple already has mini-stores within Best Buy locations, but enlarging its presence at Target would make the computer, phone and music brand more accessible to everyday shoppers who are not necessarily looking for electronics.”
Read more in the full article here.
I would only go, if Apple hires a dedicated Apple person at the store… No cronies, but the real Apple dedicated employee.
Apple used to do that at CompUSA before there were Apple Stores, and of course before CompUSA went bankrupt.
Heh. At my CompUSA, the “Apple Store” was tucked away in the farthest corner from the doors, where it could be effortlessly ignored by all the employees. When Apple started to become hip with the popularity of the iPod, the Apple section gained a nice, visible sign, but wasn’t moved any closer to the front.
CompUSA was just more obvious proof that Apple needed to open their own stores. Oh, and that CompUSA is now half of a Hobby Lobby.
——RM
I was at a CompUSA last night, except now it’s a Trader Joe’s.
Maybe it’s like putting the milk all the way in the back of the grocery store. Since everyone wants it, the store makes sure you have to walk past as much other merchandise as possible en route, in hopes of spurring impulse buys.
apple should stop selling to all major retailers once it has enough stores of its own
no offense here, but you obviously have no business sense…
This would actually be an AMAZING Concept if they do it rural areas that don’t have apple stores. Its just goofy how most of the Best Buy Apple stores are in cities that already have a real Apple store. In Tulsa, OK we have an Apple store in the Best Buy about 2 miles from the real one, but in Muskogee OK (my home town) there is no Apple store (and probably will never be) but there is a Best Buy but, yes you guessed it – no dedicated Apple Store – they’d make a killing if they did.
Muskogee Best Buy has a “leedle store”, kinda…big logo and some iPads.
…and ten idiots that keep trying to sell me a Lenova laptop.
Would be good, there are more places that don’t have an Apple Store then places that do.
Unfortunately Apple seems hell bent on not putting stores in places that seem to need them the most. I live in an area with 700,000 people, but not one Apple Store. Meanwhile in places like NYC or Chicago they are blocks apart. I just don’t get that.
Great move. Apple can only expand its market share via strategic alliances like this. Who knows – maybe the red box video outlets will someday offer Apple products. I have noticed several vending machine type Apple machines at area Macy’s.
I hope the customer shopping support provided by Target employees proves to be a routinely informative experience for the shopper. I believe I can remember looking at early PowerMac desktops being sold at a counter display at Sears. The salesperson knew very little about what he was selling. I received very little orientation to the various models and peripherals on display. I was left with the impression that retail sales of Macs had diminished to a “backwater” level as part of the parent company’s march toward oblivion. Because of that experience I did not buy a PowerMac.
I hope the knowledge base of the Target sales people is significantly more sophisticated than that Sears guy, if they want to provide solid advice regarding what Apple has to offer and so contribute to the tradition of customer satisfaction embodied in the Apple Stores. Good luck.
“I hope the knowledge base of the Target sales people”
Ah, yes. ‘Hope springs infernal.’ Or, ‘Don’t count your chickens before you burn them behind you.’ Targét has not been known for erudite sales staff… But I hope, too, since it’s a 4 hr trek to the nearest Apple store for me.
I’ll still drive 2 hours for the real thing.
Unfortunately the closest Apple Store is across the state line with a very high sales tax rate 10.25%. I cannot buy at the Apple Store for that reason. Target in my own neighborhood would be great.