MacMall opening third Calif. retail store Saturday ahead of move into Chicago
With sales of Macs growing at more than six times the industry average, MacMall on Saturday will give away thousands in Apple gear to customers attending the grand opening of its Huntington Beach retail store -- the latest component of the reseller's retail expansion plans that will it see move into Chicago early next year.
The 6,000-square-foot store at 16929 Beach Blvd. in Huntington Beach, Calif., will be the Apple authorized reseller's third in California, following the successful launch of a larger shop in Torrance last year that served as a prototype for the company's renewed retail interests. MacMall also operates a store in Santa Monica, Calif., where it has maintained a presence dating back to 1989.
The El Segundo, Calif.-based company's move to grow its retail footprint stands out in an era where Apple authorize resellers are generally losing their footing at the hands of Apple's own, aggressive retail effort, which began invading key U.S. metropolitan areas in 2001.
But MacMall president Dan DeVries says his company has received nothing but support and encouragement from Apple, as the Mac maker acknowledges that its unable to deliver the Apple experience to every region through its own stores.
A catalog and online reseller since the mid '90s, DeVries said MacMall decided a couple of years ago that it wanted to pursue a retail strategy that would provide the immediate gratification, real-world product experience, and instantaneous service options that its existing business model could not.
Its brick-and-mortar stores, like the one opening in Huntington Beach on Saturday, largely resemble Apple's own shops, right down to the iconic wooden display tables and MacMall's take on a GeniusBar. Dubbed MallOnCall, the support counters will be staffed from open-to-close each day with trained service providers that will help customers with on-site upgrades and technical support with their Apple products.
Unlike Apple's bustling Genius Bars, MacMall's MallOnCall bars won't that require customers to first schedule an appointment, and staffers will be willing to help service and troubleshoot devices from other electronics manufacturers and PC makers. The reseller also promises to offer the same discounted pricing on Apple products found on the company's website and will soon offer in-store pickup for online orders.
DeVries told AppleInsider that MacMall plans to open another retail store in Chicago this coming February and is currently "investigating" options for a space in New York City. He said the stores will also aim to address some of the limitations of Apple's own stores. For instance, the shops will be eager to work with businesses and will stock a much larger selection of Mac and iOS accessories for customers to purchase on the fly.
The first 300 people to visit MacMall's new store in Huntington Beach on Saturday, Dec. 10, will be entered into a drawing to win one of several Apple products valued at over $3,500, including a MacBook Air, three iPod touch players, five iPod nanos, and five Apple TVs. There will also be additional drawings for iPad and Mac accessories throughout the day and the first 100 people to make a purchase will receive a free gift bag.
Full details can be seen in a copy [PDF] of the store's first ad.
The 6,000-square-foot store at 16929 Beach Blvd. in Huntington Beach, Calif., will be the Apple authorized reseller's third in California, following the successful launch of a larger shop in Torrance last year that served as a prototype for the company's renewed retail interests. MacMall also operates a store in Santa Monica, Calif., where it has maintained a presence dating back to 1989.
The El Segundo, Calif.-based company's move to grow its retail footprint stands out in an era where Apple authorize resellers are generally losing their footing at the hands of Apple's own, aggressive retail effort, which began invading key U.S. metropolitan areas in 2001.
But MacMall president Dan DeVries says his company has received nothing but support and encouragement from Apple, as the Mac maker acknowledges that its unable to deliver the Apple experience to every region through its own stores.
A catalog and online reseller since the mid '90s, DeVries said MacMall decided a couple of years ago that it wanted to pursue a retail strategy that would provide the immediate gratification, real-world product experience, and instantaneous service options that its existing business model could not.
Its brick-and-mortar stores, like the one opening in Huntington Beach on Saturday, largely resemble Apple's own shops, right down to the iconic wooden display tables and MacMall's take on a GeniusBar. Dubbed MallOnCall, the support counters will be staffed from open-to-close each day with trained service providers that will help customers with on-site upgrades and technical support with their Apple products.
Unlike Apple's bustling Genius Bars, MacMall's MallOnCall bars won't that require customers to first schedule an appointment, and staffers will be willing to help service and troubleshoot devices from other electronics manufacturers and PC makers. The reseller also promises to offer the same discounted pricing on Apple products found on the company's website and will soon offer in-store pickup for online orders.
DeVries told AppleInsider that MacMall plans to open another retail store in Chicago this coming February and is currently "investigating" options for a space in New York City. He said the stores will also aim to address some of the limitations of Apple's own stores. For instance, the shops will be eager to work with businesses and will stock a much larger selection of Mac and iOS accessories for customers to purchase on the fly.
The first 300 people to visit MacMall's new store in Huntington Beach on Saturday, Dec. 10, will be entered into a drawing to win one of several Apple products valued at over $3,500, including a MacBook Air, three iPod touch players, five iPod nanos, and five Apple TVs. There will also be additional drawings for iPad and Mac accessories throughout the day and the first 100 people to make a purchase will receive a free gift bag.
Full details can be seen in a copy [PDF] of the store's first ad.
Comments
The 6,000-square-foot store at 16929 Beach Blvd. in Huntington Beach, Calif., will be the Apple authorized reseller's third in California
This is a Los Angeles chain that most of California has never heard of.
Nothing against the Mac Mall business, but why is AppleInsider trying to make them sound bigger than they are?
There was a time when MacMall was one of the only places aside from Apple that you could go to buy things that you new were Mac compatible - and they included a much wider variety of products that Apple ever did.
Although I haven't bought much there recently - due in part to the wider availability of Mac compatible products and in part to the local Microcenter having really good deals on lots of stuff.
Still - if not for all the peripherals and software etc that I bought from MacMall that made the various Macs I have owned more useful and more fun etc there may have been times when I might have given up on the Mac.
I live in Ohio.
This is a Los Angeles chain that most of California has never heard of.
Define "most."
MacMall.com has been around quite some time. The world wide web, as you may be aware, is not limited to one state. They are a nationally recognized, Apple authorized, online retailer. Looking over at Anandtech.com's forums and searching for MacMall resulted in quite a few hits. It would seem they have pretty good name recognition.
Plus, I recall seeing their ads here from time to time although I could be wrong about that.
-kpluck
Honestly I didn't think MacMall was that popular. To open up a store? How on earth can they afford it? There has to be Apple Stores in LA why on earth go to a MacMall Store?
I have bought lots of Apple products and Apple related products from them. They run specials sometimes where the price is cheaper than buying from apple.com and no sales tax....
Those who think this is a small company should notice that it is the second one after Apple listed on Appleinsider price guide.
They will also probably be able to open up more stores in areas that are more suburban or strip mall locations than Apple ever would consider.
Like previously mentioned, they do carry a lot more mac&pc compatible accessories than Apple does.
Bought from their paper catalogs all the time. Cute girl always on the cover.
Pavlov's dog much?
I don't care who argues to the contrary, this is an ad in my book.
Should we assume you'll now be covering every single move made by Amazon.com, Fry's Electronics, MacWarehouse, CDW, Target, Best Buy and others including new store openings whenever and wherever they happen to prove this was unbiased "news"?
Forgive me if I'm completely off base, but this looks like a new low for AppleInsider.
Ummm.... This isn't a story. Kasper were you (meaning either you or Apple Insider) compensated IN ANY WAY for this coverage? Maybe give 'em a little positive coverage, they agree to extend their affiliate program agreement for the links to their store?
I don't care who argues to the contrary, this is an ad in my book.
Should we assume you'll now be covering every single move made by Amazon.com, Fry's Electronics, MacWarehouse, CDW, Target, Best Buy and others including new store openings whenever and wherever they happen to prove this was unbiased "news"?
Forgive me if I'm completely off base, but this looks like a new low for AppleInsider.
Spam, neither I nor AppleInsider received any form of compensation for this article. MacMall is one of the largest Apple resellers and clearly a long-standing sponsor of AppleInsider who offers AppleInsider readers great prices on products on a regular basis. They offer a greater value proposition than Apple on most Macs and they are growing their Mac retail business at a time when others are struggling to compete with Apple. I found it relevant and encouraging and therefore agreed to spread the word of their latest opening.
If you have any additional questions, feel free to contact me personally.
K
Spam, neither I nor AppleInsider received any form of compensation for this article. MacMall is one of the largest Apple resellers and clearly a long-standing sponsor of AppleInsider who offers AppleInsider readers great prices on products on a regular basis. They offer a greater value proposition than Apple on most Macs and they are growing their Mac retail business at a time when others are struggling to compete with Apple. I found it relevant and encouraging and therefore agreed to spread the word of their latest opening.
If you have any additional questions, feel free to contact me personally.
K
Kasper, the fact that they are a sponsor is the reason why you cannot post things like this dressed up as an article. That is the definition of conflict of interest! Please tell me you understand this.
I will rely on Wikipedia to explain, perhaps better than I can:
"A conflict of interest (COI) occurs when an individual or organization is involved in multiple interests, one of which could possibly corrupt the motivation for an act in the other."
The fact that this site is compensated with advertising revenue from MacMall makes it all the more important that AI retain impartiality when it comes to "stories". AI is regularly cited by other news organizations, so I don't buy the argument that this is "just a blog". You need to adopt a code of ethical conduct here that adheres to traditional news organization standards. I am serious. Frankly, if I were one of your other advertisers, I'd drop AI like a hot rock for breaching the trust of the readers and showing favoritism, alternately, how many of your other advertisers are now going to demand positive "articles" from AppleInsider for free?
Are you familiar with the term "pay to play"?
This is a Los Angeles chain that most of California has never heard of.
Nothing against the Mac Mall business, but why is AppleInsider trying to make them sound bigger than they are?
They had a big catalog business and have converted it to online shopping quite well. Trying to paint them as a tiny regional company is inaccurate.
I have been buying stuff rom MacMall since right around the time they stared.
There was a time when MacMall was one of the only places aside from Apple that you could go to buy things that you new were Mac compatible - and they included a much wider variety of products that Apple ever did.
Although I haven't bought much there recently - due in part to the wider availability of Mac compatible products and in part to the local Microcenter having really good deals on lots of stuff.
Still - if not for all the peripherals and software etc that I bought from MacMall that made the various Macs I have owned more useful and more fun etc there may have been times when I might have given up on the Mac.
I live in Ohio.
Agreed. I really only decided to switch from PC to Mac in 1999 because of them. I got their catalogs and realized their prices were on par with Apple's or a few dollars cheaper.
Kasper, the fact that they are a sponsor is the reason why you cannot post things like this dressed up as an article. That is the definition of conflict of interest! Please tell me you understand this.
I will rely on Wikipedia to explain, perhaps better than I can:
"A conflict of interest (COI) occurs when an individual or organization is involved in multiple interests, one of which could possibly corrupt the motivation for an act in the other."
The fact that this site is compensated with advertising revenue from MacMall makes it all the more important that AI retain impartiality when it comes to "stories". AI is regularly cited by other news organizations, so I don't buy the argument that this is "just a blog". You need to adopt a code of ethical conduct here that adheres to traditional news organization standards. I am serious. Frankly, if I were one of your other advertisers, I'd drop AI like a hot rock for breaching the trust of the readers and showing favoritism. How many here have heard of the term "pay to play"?
And no, it's not a "conflict of interest" because MacMall ads happen to appear on AI in advertising. What is the conflict? MacMall is opening a store and working on a new strategy of retails sales. Given Apple's own retail presence, that's a pretty big deal...and newsworthy. Nothing is "dressed up" here. That's simply how you interpret it. Think about what you're saying...can NBC not do a story on Steve Jobs because Apple's ads appear on their network, during their broadcast?
They had a big catalog business and have converted it to online shopping quite well. Trying to paint them as a tiny regional company is inaccurate.
This article and comments section is about 3 retail outlets.
Try to keep up.
And no, it's not a "conflict of interest" because MacMall ads happen to appear on AI in advertising. What is the conflict? MacMall is opening a store and working on a new strategy of retails sales. Given Apple's own retail presence, that's a pretty big deal...and newsworthy. Nothing is "dressed up" here. That's simply how you interpret it. Think about what you're saying...can NBC not do a story on Steve Jobs because Apple's ads appear on their network, during their broadcast?
You aren't kidding, are you? It most definitely IS a conflict of interest... by definition!
At least call it an ad when it's an ad. It's incredibly easy to do and it bolsters the credibility immeasurably. We've been through this before.
Finally, AppleInsider is NOT just a glorified blog. It has a reputation and it is a business. Look at these traffic stats and tell me otherwise: http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/appleinsider.com#
http://www.alexa.com/site/linksin/appleinsider.com
You aren't kidding, are you? It most definitely IS a conflict of interest... by definition!
At least call it an ad when it's an ad. It's incredibly easy to do and it bolsters the credibility immeasurably. We've been through this before.
Finally, AppleInsider is NOT just a glorified blog. It has a reputation and it is a business. Look at these traffic stats and tell me otherwise: http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/appleinsider.com#
http://www.alexa.com/site/linksin/appleinsider.com
i'm sorry, i just don't understand why there's a conflict? newpapers all over the country do stories on new businesses and i bet many of those business buy ads.
Doesn't Apple buy ads? if so, does that mean media can't report on them?
Oh nice, they even have similar kind of tables as Apple Store.
Yes, Apple Premium Resellers and Authorized Resellers are allowed to have similar look and feel, physically and digitally.
There are some specific lines drawn in what you can and can't do, eg:
http://www.tector.fi/apr/APR%20logos..._A4_041407.pdf
But these are sometimes strictly enforced, sometimes not.
Ummm.... This isn't a story... I've called AI to the carpet before for this unethical behavior before. Guys, it's simple. When it's an ad, call it an ad and don't try to hide the fact by trumpeting it as "news".
Well, I for one, take issue with your assessment of "It's an ad" so it's "...unethical behavior..." I do call it news. I'll bet, like many on this forum, I began buying from MacMall and the catalog years ago. Don't buy much from them anymore -- lot's of Apple Stores in Chicago area... and Amazon doesn't charge tax on accessories... but I'll check out their store when it opens next year.
My point is - I believe it's over the top to call AI out as some kind of unethical louts. And I definitely thought, while reading the article, that AI could be reinforcing an advertising partner... "an ad", but by those standards many stories would be ads for Apps, Apple Products, etc... still doesn't take away from the news aspect.