“GameStop last week announced it is closing a number of non-productive Simply Mac locations throughout the United States, less than four years after acquiring and expanding the Apple Authorized Reseller and Service Provider, which effectively serves as a third-party Apple Store in smaller markets,” Joe Rossignol reports for MacRumors.
“Following the reports, we received a tip from a disgruntled Apple Authorized Service Provider owner who said the underlying issues prompting Simply Mac’s downsizing are ‘far deeper’ than it would seem,” Rossignol reports. “He noted his own AASP is closing because Apple has ‘slowly strangled’ him on margins and with ‘free labor’ demands. ”
“Another longtime Apple Authorized Dealer and Service Provider told us that AASPs have been ‘under siege’ for years. The person, who wishes to remain anonymous, said profit margins are ‘appallingly low’ and that Apple views its authorized service partners as “nothing more than glorified TV repairmen,'” Rossignol reports. “‘I am sad to say that I do not see this changing,’ the person said. ‘Apple is highly aware of our concerns and do not seem to care. As an Apple reseller for over 20 years, I thought that when Apple became successful we would participate in that success, but we did not,” the person added.'”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: This is sort of the unfortunate logical result of Apple Retail Stores, Best Buy’s Apple Stores-with-Stores, etc.
ComputerWare, Computer Town, Tekserve… Which Apple reseller do you remember that is no longer in operation?
SEE ALSO:
Apple’s growing retail store success upsets some Apple resellers – August 18, 2005