Apple to open new store-within-a-store outlets inside Target this year

Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
Apple will be opening new store-within-a-store locations in select Target locations later this year, enabling the company to expand its retail reach into smaller metro areas.



According to a source familiar with Apple's plans, the company plans to begin operating Apple-branded areas within 25 larger Target stores in locations which can't support a standalone Apple Store.



The initial opening would be a small start, given that Target, the second-largest discount retail chain in the US, operates 1752 stores in the US. Apple has opened 359 of its own retail stores globally, 245 of which are in the US.



Apple currently also operates a "store within a store" at over 600 Best Buy locations with "Apple Shops," some of which feature staffing by Apple Solution Consultants. Best Buy has over 1,000 total stores in the US.



Previous retail partnerships Apple once had with Sears, Circuit City, Computer City and Office Max were terminated in a decade ago when Apple focused its efforts on CompUSA and its own new retail stores. CompUSA has since gone out of business, and Best Buy was brought back as a "store within a store" retail partner mid-decade.



Targeting iPods and iOS devices



In October 2002, Apple began selling its iPod at all Target stores.



Tim Cook, then Apple's executive vice president of Worldwide Sales and Operations, said in a statement at the time, "We?re thrilled that Target will significantly expand the availability of Apple?s award-winning iPod to even more customers. Apple has placed an operable iPod on display in each of Target?s 1,148 stores, so every Target customer can use and listen to an iPod before they buy.?



Target then became the first retailer outside of Apple and Best Buy to begin selling the iPad in October of 2010.



A month later, it announced that it would begin selling Apple's iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4 in just over half of its stores, about 850 locations equipped with Target Mobile sales centers.



Target has adorned its electronics sections with official Apple signage | Source: ifoAppleStore



With the move to opening full Apple mini-stores in new Target locations, the retailer could move beyond iOS devices to sell Apple's full product range, including Macs and AirPort wireless routers.

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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 79
    kreshkresh Posts: 379member
    If this story was about Microsoft it would be called "Channel Stuffing"!
  • Reply 2 of 79
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,851member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by kresh View Post


    If this story was about Microsoft it would be called "Channel Stuffing"!



    When products sell as fast as you can put them on the shelves it isn't.
  • Reply 3 of 79
    kreshkresh Posts: 379member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by digitalclips View Post


    When products sell as fast as you can put them on the shelves it isn't.



    is that why the display case in the picture is 3/4 full, hehe nice try
  • Reply 4 of 79
    Doubtful they're going to sell Macs. They don't sell PCs of any kind.

    I think the low trainability on iOS devices is all that Target is going to be able to handle.
  • Reply 5 of 79
    irelandireland Posts: 17,799member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Ferazel View Post


    Doubtful they're going to sell Macs.



    I'd be willing to bet money you're wrong. You just know the senior management at Target are Mac users.
  • Reply 6 of 79
    asciiascii Posts: 5,936member
    Target is a discount chain. Apple will damage their brand by associating with them.
  • Reply 7 of 79
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by kresh View Post


    is that why the display case in the picture is 3/4 full, hehe nice try



    Not what my local store looked like over the Christmas period. It looks like a stock shot for when the store opened. In the week after Christmas my local target's Apple display was a sad collection of empty shelves and those pole things they hang product from.
  • Reply 8 of 79
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Ferazel View Post


    I think the low trainability on iOS devices is all that Target is going to be able to handle.



    Trainability is not particularly relevant when they just unlock that display and hand you the box you point at. Heavens man, even the "display unit" is under glass running a demo.
  • Reply 9 of 79
    Considering that Best Buy is likely going to fold, this is an obvious choice to replace them.



    Just please, no Walmart. Target may be discount, but they have style.
  • Reply 10 of 79
    morkymorky Posts: 200member
    If Brooklyn were not part of NYC, it would be the fourth largest city in America. I'm baffled we don't have an Apple store yet when there are five enormous ones across the river.
  • Reply 11 of 79
    thrangthrang Posts: 1,034member
    Ron Johnson's wondering, "where's the love...?"
  • Reply 12 of 79
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by ascii View Post


    Target is a discount chain. Apple will damage their brand by associating with them.



    No it wont. In a lot of areas there is only target to physically buy an apple product. Target is 5 min away from me while the apple store is 45 min.
  • Reply 13 of 79
    That is strange. Dedham MA and Framingham MA both have apple stores and they can't have near the population density as Brooklyn.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Morky View Post


    If Brooklyn were not part of NYC, it would be the fourth largest city in America. I'm baffled we don't have an Apple store yet when there are five enormous ones across the river.



  • Reply 14 of 79
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by ascii View Post


    Target is a discount chain. Apple will damage their brand by associating with them.



    This is what I was told when I had a deal to do a store within a store at Target. The company owners, who incidentally didn't shop at Target (urban metro people with no kids and rich taste) , thought it would potentially hurt the brand and disrupt company stores. They were idiots and had no idea how beneficial it would have been to have 50+ million people walking by their brand.



    The Target customer is the Apple customer - it's a natural fit. The last time I was at a Target corporate meeting, there were enough Apple posters and awards (for selling iTunes cards) around that it tells me they have a strong partnership and Target WILL move some significant numbers of products, be it iPods, iPhones, iPads or maybe even select MacBooks (Air's I am guessing) and iMacs.
  • Reply 15 of 79
    gridgrid Posts: 21member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Ferazel View Post


    Doubtful they're going to sell Macs. They don't sell PCs of any kind.

    I think the low trainability on iOS devices is all that Target is going to be able to handle.



    Read a little closer dude...



    Apple currently also operates a "store within a store" at over 600 Best Buy locations with "Apple Shops," some of which feature staffing by Apple Solution Consultants.
  • Reply 16 of 79
    timuscatimusca Posts: 123member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by ascii View Post


    Target is a discount chain. Apple will damage their brand by associating with them.



    You couldn't be more wrong. Target is, by definition, the alternate to Walmart. Go into both some time and compare the customers - the sample of people at Target is far and more higher class than Walmart customers.



    I'd also like to remind you that people said the same thing when Apple started selling products in Walmart. It hasn't hurt them a bit.
  • Reply 17 of 79
    dasanman69dasanman69 Posts: 13,002member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Morky View Post


    If Brooklyn were not part of NYC, it would be the fourth largest city in America. I'm baffled we don't have an Apple store yet when there are five enormous ones across the river.



    Especially with the large hipster population.
  • Reply 18 of 79
    the author of the article is misinformed. Best Buy is NOT the only Apple Store-In-Store concept. The U.S. military retail exchanges have Apple SIS stores across the globe in select locations with all (4) services - AAFES for Army and Air Force, NEX for Navy/Marine and MPX for Marine only stations.
  • Reply 19 of 79
    dasanman69dasanman69 Posts: 13,002member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by jmgregory1 View Post


    This is what I was told when I had a deal to do a store within a store at Target. The company owners, who incidentally didn't shop at Target (urban metro people with no kids and rich taste) , thought it would potentially hurt the brand and disrupt company stores. They were idiots and had no idea how beneficial it would have been to have 50+ million people walking by their brand.



    The Target customer is the Apple customer - it's a natural fit. The last time I was at a Target corporate meeting, there were enough Apple posters and awards (for selling iTunes cards) around that it tells me they have a strong partnership and Target WILL move some significant numbers of products, be it iPods, iPhones, iPads or maybe even select MacBooks (Air's I am guessing) and iMacs.



    I remember when Apple products were bought in a "boutique".
  • Reply 20 of 79
    hittrj01hittrj01 Posts: 753member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by ascii View Post


    Target is a discount chain. Apple will damage their brand by associating with them.



    No, Target is not a discount chain, it is simply a general goods store. Just use the eyeball test and walk into a Walmart and a Target. Take a look around at not only the people that shop there, but the people that work there. Look at the shelves, the layout, the lighting, the floors. It is so much more pleasing and satisfying to shop at Target than any of the other places it "competes" with. Hell, I work for Best Buy, and if my employee discount isn't drastically less, I still prefer to shop at Target.
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