They are upset they miss the writing on the wall. Oh I forgot, they only speak and read French and the Apple freight train announce its arrival in France in English.
Come on what did they expect to happen, Apple is opening stores all over the place and like any business they will favor their own stores over any other, hell apple does that in the US with Best Buy, Target and Wal-mart, so what did this company think was going to happen to them.
They real issue is the fact the wasted money setting up the company as a public company so they were subject to the whims of the market.
I have a local Mac only store and I visit it before driving 20 mile to the big Apple store since it is closer and I do not want to deal with crowds of nut apple buyers. Oh guess what it is a family own business and they are opening new locations in various areas not near Apples bug stores. I guess they figure out how to make money off apples success.
Apple Stores Rock....this toads attitude says it all ...i can only imagine what its like to deal with if u went into hes stores...oh and if your a english customer u can forget about it...he clearly in hes comments about english auditors had a dislike for non-french people.
Apple audits its authorized resellers and sends in "mystery shoppers" to make sure everything is up to the company's standards. But French resellers have complained that the inspections are conducted by a British company rather than Apple's French marketing team.
Does it means that if I am not a Frenchie, the resellers will "treat" me differently to the extend that it fails Apple's standard???
But I suspect there are opportunities out there for clever entrepreneurs. For example, how about setting up a store that will do custom upgrades on new Macs? It could work like this:
1. you come into the store and consult with a salesperson who helps you pick a Mac from Apple's website and upgrades from OWC's website.
2. with the salesperson's help (if necessary) you order the stuff you need and have it delivered to the store.
3. everything is shipped to the store, where the staff put it altogether for you.
4. the store could even offer an alternative to AppleCare.
Such a store could also provide higher-end services and support for both consumers and small business (same day loaners on equipment that goes down; workshops on various software products that perhaps go into more depth than the Apple Store's workshops;...)
Such a store would be a bit of a niche, perhaps, but at least in larger cities I bet it could be successful.
Unless an Apple re-seller can offer me a substancial price drop (they typically don't); why would I want to buy from them, instead of buying from Apple direct? When I buy from Apple directly - I have a permanently available receipt via the web site; I have a garantee of full Apple Support, plus I can opt to upgrade to AppleCare through the website at a later point in time.
If Apple has the same price, more or better service options, and garanteed stock - why would I want to consider an Apple re-seller?
At some stores, like Best Buy, the return policies may be better. No restocking fees, etc. also, you might have a better shot at getting a new replacement for a DOA. Apple sometimes gives refurbs, according to some comments I have seen.
And other retailers have incentive programs. Best Buy used to give you coupons equal to abut 4% of your purchases. for big items, like an X Box or computer, the amount is substantial. So you come back the next month and buy software or games or whatever.
Other retailers have sales, and some offer consistent discounts. Apple stores charge MSRP for the most part. I don't understand why anybody would buy expensive accessories, like iHome products or expensive headphones at an Apple store. AFAIK, Apple doesn't even stand behind third-party goods that it sells at Apple stores. They make you go through the manufacturer to get warranty service. Big chain retailers don't do that. At a place like Costco, you can return the defective item and just get a new one.
not to worry, MS is looking for partners to open MS Premium Retail stores in europe
I know you're being a tad sarcastic but there is some truth to the statement. Times are changing and these folks need to change also. Most authorized resellers here in LA are more about getting the accessories that the stores don't carry (better printers, speakers, wacoms, cameras). AND about being authorized repair shops that can and will do out of warranty repairs. Especially of those 5 year items that Cali law says there has to be parts for but the stores don't have to have them on site. You're paying anyway so would you rather wait 3-5 days for the local Apple Store to order and then another 3-5 for the repair or go to one of the authorized shops that could have the part in and can have the computer back to you in 2 days.
If these shops couldn't see the writing on the wall when Apple started this whole store project then that's on the shops, not Apple. Of course Apple is going to favor their own stores. Any company would. ANd I doubt they ever promised not to open a store near an AR shop etc.
But I suspect there are opportunities out there for clever entrepreneurs. For example, how about setting up a store that will do custom upgrades on new Macs? It could work like this:
1. you come into the store and consult with a salesperson who helps you pick a Mac from Apple's website and upgrades from OWC's website.
2. with the salesperson's help (if necessary) you order the stuff you need and have it delivered to the store.
3. everything is shipped to the store, where the staff put it altogether for you.
4. the store could even offer an alternative to AppleCare.
Such a store could also provide higher-end services and support for both consumers and small business (same day loaners on equipment that goes down; workshops on various software products that perhaps go into more depth than the Apple Store's workshops;...)
Such a store would be a bit of a niche, perhaps, but at least in larger cities I bet it could be successful.
And how long would it take before Apple steps in and says no, you can't do that?
At some stores, like Best Buy, the return policies may be better. No restocking fees, etc. also, you might have a better shot at getting a new replacement for a DOA. Apple sometimes gives refurbs, according to some comments I have seen.
Given the standards that Apple puts their refurbs though, that shouldn't be an issue in most cases.
At places like Best Buy you are just as likely to get an 'open box'/refurb but the standards aren't always as great. Often at big box stores they just check that all the cables etc are in the box and stick it on a shelf to be erased when someone gets around to it. But if someone wants to buy that open unit (or they want to replace a 'broken' one) they grab and don't bother to check that the erasing was done. I've heard many a horror story about turning on a computer to a collection of porn etc. Smart phones with address books and text messages in them. And 99.9% of the time it was a big box that the item came from.
Apple does have a ruthless side these days. Back in the dark days it was the resellers that kept Apple alive.
I worked for several premium independent Apple resellers here in the US. Apple did the same thing to us. Once an Apple store was in town, Apple choked us off from popular products, and did everything else possible to make our lives as tough as possible. It was too bad Apple didn't see us as valuable to their success, but they obviously didn't. If you're an Apple dealer facing encroaching competition from Apple themselves, you better be looking for another job.
apple told these guys to spend $8 million per store for a new look but is holding back inventory and telling them which inventory to carry as well as not letting them sell iphone and ipads.
i'm still surprised these guys are apple resellers and not getting the hint hint wink wink
I've heard many a horror story about turning on a computer to a collection of porn etc. Smart phones with address books and text messages in them. And 99.9% of the time it was a big box that the item came from.
It doesn't have to be a big box for this to happen - I bought a refurbed ethernet hard drive direct from Lacie a few years ago that came complete with the previous owners data still intact... photos, personal correspondence, you name it...
And haven't I read somewhere about Motorola having to apologise this week for shipping out refurb Xooms without bothering to wipe them first?
... and, oh yeah, Mac sales are a much greater percentage of Apple's profits than the iPhone.
I was going along fine with the rest, but I can't tell if you're joking here.
That doesn't look like... oh, percentage of PROFITS.
And there's no breakdown of profit by category... Okay, the iPhone represents 53% of sales and the Mac represents 14% of sales. I'll let someone who knows about this stuff figure out how much money they'd have to make on Macs and how little money they'd have to make on iPhones to make what you said true.
1. Do non-Apple stores provide the quality experience for customers that Apple has found is fundamental to their success?
So far all the "experience" I had at the montreal downtown store have been horrible. I had to go through 5 appointements to solve a MBP problem (until they gave up reparing it and just replace it with a new one) and they even had the guts to ask a co-workers to make an appointement to change a defective ipad charger.
When you go to appointements, you need to sit on the floor and wait for at least 30 minutes because they are always late. It looks more like an ER room than a store customer services.
The only good thing that happen to me there is they change for free an ipad that had been physicly damage. But still had to go through the appointement mess before. The replacement unit screen is yellow'ish, but i am not complaining since I got it for free.
Maybe I can shed some light on the reseller situation. My family owned an Apple Specialist for 25 years and I worked there for 11 years. We have since sold the business to someone else so I feel a bit more inclined to discuss it.
Being a reseller has been a struggle for the Apple Reseller's in the world for the most part, especially ones with Apple going in next door. We've seen many of our friends shut their doors in larger cities cause it's very difficult to compete with Apple.
For our business we did very well cause I'd like to think of us as one of the better resellers. We were also located 2 hours from the nearest Apple Store and nobody was interested in driving that far. Because of that our sales increased every year as Apple grew to be a larger company. We offered the same computers, same service, same AppleCare and can often times beat certain prices depending on the situation. We couldn't sell iPhones but to be honest that was a blessing in disguise. So many factors outside our store would determine if somebody liked their phone or not, including reception at their home and work so it was better that he couldn't handle them.
Apple is most definitely a competitor, probably our biggest one but what can you expect, it's in their nature. You can complain about it or you can evolve and prepare for the future. The Apple Education store KILLED us. Apple is selling machines lower than what we can buy them for and many people often times abuse the educational pricing since Apple doesn't really check anything. Best Buy and online sales without sales tax also killed us. We had to sell people on our service and support and let them know we value our customers who shop with us instead of our competitors and many people appreciated that.
I know this isn't true for all resellers but I'd go so far as to say we help people in many more ways versus the Apple Store. You see, at the Apple Store, employees can only help people on certain topics, often times just Apple things. If you had a weird peculiar problem with 3rd party software Apple would have you just contact that company and I can't say I blame them. Our business was the only Mac place in the region, if I didn't solve someone's problems no one would. I knew Apple wouldn't help them, their 3rd party software's 1-800 number wouldn't help them so everything fell on our shoulders. I didn't mind because I loved helping people. Most people are extremely grateful when you take time out of your day to solve their unique problem that no one else would sniff at. Our staff was also more knowledgable versus most Apple Store employees (at least in my experience). Unfortunately Apple has to hire so many people for their stores that they hire personality first and teach them the Mac later. That leaves you with a lot of untrained people selling Macs. At our business everyone was a Mac person and everyone was an expert in their field. We solved issues that only someone with tenured experience would be able to figure out.
For hard to get items we would most certainly get little inventory but it became to be expected, not a surprise. On iPad launch day we were probably guaranteed to get none, same with new iPods and other small things. Computers Apple usually did a pretty good job of getting them to us so that was a plus.
I could go on and on but it's unnecessary. We were a lucky one, our business rose with the success of Apple and we were thankful for that despite the fierce competition from Apple. I wish their was a solution for the other resellers but there really isn't. Apple loves control and there Apple Stores are a perfect example of that. Apple has tons of money and are able to build these beautiful stores that people gravitate towards. If these future resellers want to survive they need to evolve their business plan. They need to focus on service and support since most Apple Store's are a damn zoo when it comes to getting anything fixed. They need to evolve and work on setting businesses up with software solutions and high end software sales.
While I loved working on the Apple Reseller world I'm glad we passed to torch on to someone else. It's only a matter of time before Apple comes to our neck of the woods and it would cast a dark cloud over us instantly.
I was going along fine with the rest, but I can't tell if you're joking here.
That doesn't look like... oh, percentage of PROFITS.
And there's no breakdown of profit by category... Okay, the iPhone represents 53% of sales and the Mac represents 14% of sales. I'll let someone who knows about this stuff figure out how much money they'd have to make on Macs and how little money they'd have to make on iPhones to make what you said true.
I was being sarcastic.
It sounded to me like the Prof was trying to trump the decline of iPhone sales in Europe with the increase in Mac sales.
I've been an Apple customer since 1984, through thick and thin, good days and bad, and people like me kept the company afloat through its 'dark days'.
So does that mean that Apple should subsidize my purchases as well?
Subsidise? I didn't say anything about that, I was merely making an observation. Yes of course it was the customers buying the products that kept Apple going, but without the distributors that could not have happened.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SolipsismX
I'm not sure I can agree with that. Apple did rely completely on resellers but that's because it didn't have internet sales or its own retail stores. There was really no other option. Frankly the retailers didn't do a great job (on the whole) of making Apple's product look desirable. They were often pushed to the back of the store to rot.
As for being ruthless that is part of any for profit company's DNA if they wish to survive. One of Jobs first commands upon returning as interim CEO of Apple was to end all Mac clones. This wasn't Apple being dick for dick's sake, but Apple trying to survive. Where they dick? From the cloner's PoV, most likely. Was Apple right? Absolutely!
Again, I was making an observation rather than a criticism. Business sectors come and go, and the advent of the online store now coupled with the Apple stores have made resellers increasingly redundant. As to your comment about retailers, there were Apple specialists who only sold Apple stuff and they were, in my experience, good places to go.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ElectroTech
I have tried to shop at an Authorized Apple Reseller since 1986 and every time I went in the shop for the past two and a half decades, I was treated like it was a privilege to be allowed in the store and have a person sell to me. It was the worst experience shopping so I turned to Apple's online store and was thrilled that Apple opened their own retail stores. I love the Apple experience and hope these greedy resellers go under as soon as possible.
Personal experience I suppose, the specialist resellers I used always gave good service.
Comments
Come on what did they expect to happen, Apple is opening stores all over the place and like any business they will favor their own stores over any other, hell apple does that in the US with Best Buy, Target and Wal-mart, so what did this company think was going to happen to them.
They real issue is the fact the wasted money setting up the company as a public company so they were subject to the whims of the market.
I have a local Mac only store and I visit it before driving 20 mile to the big Apple store since it is closer and I do not want to deal with crowds of nut apple buyers. Oh guess what it is a family own business and they are opening new locations in various areas not near Apples bug stores. I guess they figure out how to make money off apples success.
Apple audits its authorized resellers and sends in "mystery shoppers" to make sure everything is up to the company's standards. But French resellers have complained that the inspections are conducted by a British company rather than Apple's French marketing team.
Does it means that if I am not a Frenchie, the resellers will "treat" me differently to the extend that it fails Apple's standard???
But I suspect there are opportunities out there for clever entrepreneurs. For example, how about setting up a store that will do custom upgrades on new Macs? It could work like this:
1. you come into the store and consult with a salesperson who helps you pick a Mac from Apple's website and upgrades from OWC's website.
2. with the salesperson's help (if necessary) you order the stuff you need and have it delivered to the store.
3. everything is shipped to the store, where the staff put it altogether for you.
4. the store could even offer an alternative to AppleCare.
Such a store could also provide higher-end services and support for both consumers and small business (same day loaners on equipment that goes down; workshops on various software products that perhaps go into more depth than the Apple Store's workshops;...)
Such a store would be a bit of a niche, perhaps, but at least in larger cities I bet it could be successful.
Unless an Apple re-seller can offer me a substancial price drop (they typically don't); why would I want to buy from them, instead of buying from Apple direct? When I buy from Apple directly - I have a permanently available receipt via the web site; I have a garantee of full Apple Support, plus I can opt to upgrade to AppleCare through the website at a later point in time.
If Apple has the same price, more or better service options, and garanteed stock - why would I want to consider an Apple re-seller?
At some stores, like Best Buy, the return policies may be better. No restocking fees, etc. also, you might have a better shot at getting a new replacement for a DOA. Apple sometimes gives refurbs, according to some comments I have seen.
And other retailers have incentive programs. Best Buy used to give you coupons equal to abut 4% of your purchases. for big items, like an X Box or computer, the amount is substantial. So you come back the next month and buy software or games or whatever.
Other retailers have sales, and some offer consistent discounts. Apple stores charge MSRP for the most part. I don't understand why anybody would buy expensive accessories, like iHome products or expensive headphones at an Apple store. AFAIK, Apple doesn't even stand behind third-party goods that it sells at Apple stores. They make you go through the manufacturer to get warranty service. Big chain retailers don't do that. At a place like Costco, you can return the defective item and just get a new one.
Does it means that if I am not a Frenchie, the resellers will "treat" me differently to the extend that it fails Apple's standard???
I didn't think of that. Maybe Apple is specifically testing how foreigners might be treated by resellers. If so, that is very clever.
guys,
not to worry, MS is looking for partners to open MS Premium Retail stores in europe
I know you're being a tad sarcastic but there is some truth to the statement. Times are changing and these folks need to change also. Most authorized resellers here in LA are more about getting the accessories that the stores don't carry (better printers, speakers, wacoms, cameras). AND about being authorized repair shops that can and will do out of warranty repairs. Especially of those 5 year items that Cali law says there has to be parts for but the stores don't have to have them on site. You're paying anyway so would you rather wait 3-5 days for the local Apple Store to order and then another 3-5 for the repair or go to one of the authorized shops that could have the part in and can have the computer back to you in 2 days.
If these shops couldn't see the writing on the wall when Apple started this whole store project then that's on the shops, not Apple. Of course Apple is going to favor their own stores. Any company would. ANd I doubt they ever promised not to open a store near an AR shop etc.
Looks like the middle man is being cut out.
But I suspect there are opportunities out there for clever entrepreneurs. For example, how about setting up a store that will do custom upgrades on new Macs? It could work like this:
1. you come into the store and consult with a salesperson who helps you pick a Mac from Apple's website and upgrades from OWC's website.
2. with the salesperson's help (if necessary) you order the stuff you need and have it delivered to the store.
3. everything is shipped to the store, where the staff put it altogether for you.
4. the store could even offer an alternative to AppleCare.
Such a store could also provide higher-end services and support for both consumers and small business (same day loaners on equipment that goes down; workshops on various software products that perhaps go into more depth than the Apple Store's workshops;...)
Such a store would be a bit of a niche, perhaps, but at least in larger cities I bet it could be successful.
And how long would it take before Apple steps in and says no, you can't do that?
At some stores, like Best Buy, the return policies may be better. No restocking fees, etc. also, you might have a better shot at getting a new replacement for a DOA. Apple sometimes gives refurbs, according to some comments I have seen.
Given the standards that Apple puts their refurbs though, that shouldn't be an issue in most cases.
At places like Best Buy you are just as likely to get an 'open box'/refurb but the standards aren't always as great. Often at big box stores they just check that all the cables etc are in the box and stick it on a shelf to be erased when someone gets around to it. But if someone wants to buy that open unit (or they want to replace a 'broken' one) they grab and don't bother to check that the erasing was done. I've heard many a horror story about turning on a computer to a collection of porn etc. Smart phones with address books and text messages in them. And 99.9% of the time it was a big box that the item came from.
Huh??
Market share and sales of the iPhone are declining in Europe.
I wouldn't say that is the right track.
I don't believe this and I know you're just a troll, but the point is really that there are a lot more products Apple sells than iPhone.
There was a report just yesterday about how while all other PC sales declined, Apple's market share and volume were significantly UP in Europe.
Apple's sales, share, and store presence has been expanding all over Europe for the last four or five years.
I don't believe this and I know you're just a troll, but the point is really that there are a lot more products Apple sells than iPhone.
There was a report just yesterday about how while all other PC sales declined, Apple's market share and volume were significantly UP in Europe.
Apple's sales, share, and store presence has been expanding all over Europe for the last four or five years.
Grab a brain Prof.
The report of declining iPhone sales and market share in Europe was right here on AI. I'm not going to help your lazy ass by looking it up for you.
... and, oh yeah, Mac sales are a much greater percentage of Apple's profits than the iPhone.
Apple does have a ruthless side these days. Back in the dark days it was the resellers that kept Apple alive.
I worked for several premium independent Apple resellers here in the US. Apple did the same thing to us. Once an Apple store was in town, Apple choked us off from popular products, and did everything else possible to make our lives as tough as possible. It was too bad Apple didn't see us as valuable to their success, but they obviously didn't. If you're an Apple dealer facing encroaching competition from Apple themselves, you better be looking for another job.
apple told these guys to spend $8 million per store for a new look but is holding back inventory and telling them which inventory to carry as well as not letting them sell iphone and ipads.
i'm still surprised these guys are apple resellers and not getting the hint hint wink wink
I've heard many a horror story about turning on a computer to a collection of porn etc. Smart phones with address books and text messages in them. And 99.9% of the time it was a big box that the item came from.
It doesn't have to be a big box for this to happen - I bought a refurbed ethernet hard drive direct from Lacie a few years ago that came complete with the previous owners data still intact... photos, personal correspondence, you name it...
And haven't I read somewhere about Motorola having to apologise this week for shipping out refurb Xooms without bothering to wipe them first?
... and, oh yeah, Mac sales are a much greater percentage of Apple's profits than the iPhone.
I was going along fine with the rest, but I can't tell if you're joking here.
That doesn't look like... oh, percentage of PROFITS.
And there's no breakdown of profit by category... Okay, the iPhone represents 53% of sales and the Mac represents 14% of sales. I'll let someone who knows about this stuff figure out how much money they'd have to make on Macs and how little money they'd have to make on iPhones to make what you said true.
The questions abound:
1. Do non-Apple stores provide the quality experience for customers that Apple has found is fundamental to their success?
So far all the "experience" I had at the montreal downtown store have been horrible. I had to go through 5 appointements to solve a MBP problem (until they gave up reparing it and just replace it with a new one) and they even had the guts to ask a co-workers to make an appointement to change a defective ipad charger.
When you go to appointements, you need to sit on the floor and wait for at least 30 minutes because they are always late. It looks more like an ER room than a store customer services.
The only good thing that happen to me there is they change for free an ipad that had been physicly damage. But still had to go through the appointement mess before. The replacement unit screen is yellow'ish, but i am not complaining since I got it for free.
Being a reseller has been a struggle for the Apple Reseller's in the world for the most part, especially ones with Apple going in next door. We've seen many of our friends shut their doors in larger cities cause it's very difficult to compete with Apple.
For our business we did very well cause I'd like to think of us as one of the better resellers. We were also located 2 hours from the nearest Apple Store and nobody was interested in driving that far. Because of that our sales increased every year as Apple grew to be a larger company. We offered the same computers, same service, same AppleCare and can often times beat certain prices depending on the situation. We couldn't sell iPhones but to be honest that was a blessing in disguise. So many factors outside our store would determine if somebody liked their phone or not, including reception at their home and work so it was better that he couldn't handle them.
Apple is most definitely a competitor, probably our biggest one but what can you expect, it's in their nature. You can complain about it or you can evolve and prepare for the future. The Apple Education store KILLED us. Apple is selling machines lower than what we can buy them for and many people often times abuse the educational pricing since Apple doesn't really check anything. Best Buy and online sales without sales tax also killed us. We had to sell people on our service and support and let them know we value our customers who shop with us instead of our competitors and many people appreciated that.
I know this isn't true for all resellers but I'd go so far as to say we help people in many more ways versus the Apple Store. You see, at the Apple Store, employees can only help people on certain topics, often times just Apple things. If you had a weird peculiar problem with 3rd party software Apple would have you just contact that company and I can't say I blame them. Our business was the only Mac place in the region, if I didn't solve someone's problems no one would. I knew Apple wouldn't help them, their 3rd party software's 1-800 number wouldn't help them so everything fell on our shoulders. I didn't mind because I loved helping people. Most people are extremely grateful when you take time out of your day to solve their unique problem that no one else would sniff at. Our staff was also more knowledgable versus most Apple Store employees (at least in my experience). Unfortunately Apple has to hire so many people for their stores that they hire personality first and teach them the Mac later. That leaves you with a lot of untrained people selling Macs. At our business everyone was a Mac person and everyone was an expert in their field. We solved issues that only someone with tenured experience would be able to figure out.
For hard to get items we would most certainly get little inventory but it became to be expected, not a surprise. On iPad launch day we were probably guaranteed to get none, same with new iPods and other small things. Computers Apple usually did a pretty good job of getting them to us so that was a plus.
I could go on and on but it's unnecessary. We were a lucky one, our business rose with the success of Apple and we were thankful for that despite the fierce competition from Apple. I wish their was a solution for the other resellers but there really isn't. Apple loves control and there Apple Stores are a perfect example of that. Apple has tons of money and are able to build these beautiful stores that people gravitate towards. If these future resellers want to survive they need to evolve their business plan. They need to focus on service and support since most Apple Store's are a damn zoo when it comes to getting anything fixed. They need to evolve and work on setting businesses up with software solutions and high end software sales.
While I loved working on the Apple Reseller world I'm glad we passed to torch on to someone else. It's only a matter of time before Apple comes to our neck of the woods and it would cast a dark cloud over us instantly.
I was going along fine with the rest, but I can't tell if you're joking here.
That doesn't look like... oh, percentage of PROFITS.
And there's no breakdown of profit by category... Okay, the iPhone represents 53% of sales and the Mac represents 14% of sales. I'll let someone who knows about this stuff figure out how much money they'd have to make on Macs and how little money they'd have to make on iPhones to make what you said true.
I was being sarcastic.
It sounded to me like the Prof was trying to trump the decline of iPhone sales in Europe with the increase in Mac sales.
I've been an Apple customer since 1984, through thick and thin, good days and bad, and people like me kept the company afloat through its 'dark days'.
So does that mean that Apple should subsidize my purchases as well?
Subsidise? I didn't say anything about that, I was merely making an observation. Yes of course it was the customers buying the products that kept Apple going, but without the distributors that could not have happened.
I'm not sure I can agree with that. Apple did rely completely on resellers but that's because it didn't have internet sales or its own retail stores. There was really no other option. Frankly the retailers didn't do a great job (on the whole) of making Apple's product look desirable. They were often pushed to the back of the store to rot.
As for being ruthless that is part of any for profit company's DNA if they wish to survive. One of Jobs first commands upon returning as interim CEO of Apple was to end all Mac clones. This wasn't Apple being dick for dick's sake, but Apple trying to survive. Where they dick? From the cloner's PoV, most likely. Was Apple right? Absolutely!
Again, I was making an observation rather than a criticism. Business sectors come and go, and the advent of the online store now coupled with the Apple stores have made resellers increasingly redundant. As to your comment about retailers, there were Apple specialists who only sold Apple stuff and they were, in my experience, good places to go.
I have tried to shop at an Authorized Apple Reseller since 1986 and every time I went in the shop for the past two and a half decades, I was treated like it was a privilege to be allowed in the store and have a person sell to me. It was the worst experience shopping so I turned to Apple's online store and was thrilled that Apple opened their own retail stores. I love the Apple experience and hope these greedy resellers go under as soon as possible.
Personal experience I suppose, the specialist resellers I used always gave good service.