“Amazon has signed a deal to expand the selection of Apple products on its sites worldwide,” Ben Fox Rubin reports for CNET.
“The world’s largest e-commerce company said Friday it’ll soon start selling more Apple products directly and have access to Apple’s latest devices, including the new iPad Pro, iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and Apple Watch Series 4, as well as Apple’s lineup of Beats headphones. The Amazon-Apple deal encompasses the US, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Japan and India, with the new products hitting Amazon sites in the coming weeks,” Rubin reports. “Only Apple-authorized resellers will now be allowed to sell Apple and Beats products on Amazon’s marketplace.”
“Currently, many of these Apple products are either unavailable on Amazon or are on sale only through its third-party marketplace at varied prices and conditions. Amazon does already directly sell some Apple devices, such as MacBook laptops and Beats headphones,” Rubin reports. “The arrangement does include a few caveats. Apple’s HomePod smart speaker, which competes against Amazon’s own Echo devices, isn’t included. Amazon doesn’t list either the HomePod or the rival Google Home speakers.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: This is great news for Amazon shoppers who are looking for Apple products which, until now, was pretty much a crapshoot and ready for the shopping season, too!
I also saw a shockingly huge display of Apple iPhones & iPads at Costco the other day. Maybe customers aren’t coming to them as much as they’d like and are rethinking the mostly Apple Store exclusivity.
Apple hasn’t been so obtuse as to sell their wares only through their own on-line and brick-and-mortar Apple Stores. For years now, they’ve embraced the outlet model used by most other brands to move their product. They sell plenty of units on HSN (Home Shopping Network) and QVC, primarily television channels. You can see them in department stores like Macy’s or Nordstrom. The Costco connection is not a sign of desperation, but of expansion. Apple knows marketing.
Last week noticed the exact opposite in our local Walmart Superstore. Last year tech preparations for Black Friday included over 50 smartphones and dozens of tablets from different manufacturers. For years Apple had it’s own dedicated long elegant display table of iPhones and iPads.
Today — ZERO Apple products in the store. I suspect the rising premium prices may play a role or possibly they were pulled from all stores to sell online Ala Amazon. That said, the entire display was reduced over three quarters to one table. Products on it counted five tablets and six smartphones, all Android. Now I have to drive 1.5 hours to the nearest Apple Store to handle in person.
Whatever the reason, Apple losing a physical presence in the world’s largest brick and mortar retailer, is not exactly a positive development…
Apple doesn’t need WalCrap or Amazon, if you have a product like Tech Items no one can show it or sell it better than you, THAT IS WHY THE ONLINE STORE AND THE APPLE STORE EXIST.
Without them Apple would worth 1/4 of what they are today.
Techspot (https://tinyurl.com/yczt4n7u) has an article reporting that Apple’s deal with Amazon includes the provision that Amazon no longer support non-authorized resellers. The implications are that a number of small businesses will go under, older computers that are perfectly good–Apple makes quality stuff–will end up in landfills, and prices will inevitably rise. This seems to be an example of Apple using its muscle to quash competition, even if that competition is actually selling a testament to the value of Apple’s own products. It may also be a way for Apple to continue its war on repairability.