Macs at Best Buy, OfficeMax, Wal Mart
According to yourdailymac (I know they have been full of shit in the past) ran this a few days ago-
[quote] I am a sales rep that works for Apple and I must say that you are doing a great job with your site. This is my first time writing to a news/rumor site so bear with me. OK, in our meeting last week at Cupertino we filled Steve in on the progress of our trying to sell the new iMac to 3 major chains. Right now we have sent 1 production version of the new flat panel iMac to: WalMart, BestBuy (used to be a Apple Re-Seller but now is thinking about rejoining since the new iMac doesn't come in colors) and OfficeMax (Apple is planning on purchasing store space so that when the Gateway Country's contract runs out they can have condensed Apple Stores within each store) So far we have been able to make deals with BestBuy and OfficeMax but we are having problems with Wal-Mart because they are unsure of the new iMac. But we do plan to make a deal with them after they see how much of a huge success this thing is.
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Well, any truth or possibility to this? And I guess it would ONLY be iMacs? While limited, I think this would rock.
[quote] I am a sales rep that works for Apple and I must say that you are doing a great job with your site. This is my first time writing to a news/rumor site so bear with me. OK, in our meeting last week at Cupertino we filled Steve in on the progress of our trying to sell the new iMac to 3 major chains. Right now we have sent 1 production version of the new flat panel iMac to: WalMart, BestBuy (used to be a Apple Re-Seller but now is thinking about rejoining since the new iMac doesn't come in colors) and OfficeMax (Apple is planning on purchasing store space so that when the Gateway Country's contract runs out they can have condensed Apple Stores within each store) So far we have been able to make deals with BestBuy and OfficeMax but we are having problems with Wal-Mart because they are unsure of the new iMac. But we do plan to make a deal with them after they see how much of a huge success this thing is.
<hr></blockquote>
Well, any truth or possibility to this? And I guess it would ONLY be iMacs? While limited, I think this would rock.
Comments
they were blatently lying to customers to get them to buy the stupid service plans. inlcluding stuff like "Macs are broken more often than PC's"
"This thing isn't really covered by a warrenty after 14 days".
along with the service plan push, they tried hard to steer customers away from the Macs in the first place. they were getting better commissions on PC's, so they didn't want to sell Macs. it was really bad.
i got into an arguement with the manager about some of the stuff he was saying and was two seconds away from a lifetime ban from Best Buy.
oops. i don't get mad often or easily, but i hate when someone is lying to someone else to take advantage of them. in any case, **** Best Buy.
after the manager and i had our chat, i asked him outright why they treat their customers so poorly.
his reply stunned me, his exact words were
"We can treat our customers however we want to, they have no where else to go."
how's that for nice.
Wal Mart selling iMacs? Sounds good because they are such a large retailer, but how would they slash prices? Would they stack boxes like Televisions in the electronics section? There is no sales pitch for any of the devices they sell at Wal Mart either. Maybe that's an advantage?
On the plus side, maybe they'd start selling Mac software.
Best Buy selling Macs again is horrifying to me. I'm sure everyone has read my story about the Best Buy sales reps basically mock an older couple (think about your grandparents) when they tried to buy an iMac. They said they would go and get it after desperately trying to talk them out of it, and when they got up to the counter to pay, two more Best Buy salespeople came up and said, "Oh you don't want that", picked up the computer and left. Thankfully, they left the store with nothing, much to the astonishment of the Best Buy reps. Having them NOT sell Macs is Addition by Subtraction.
OfficeMax seems strange to me. The only computers I've ever seen them sell are Compaqs and they don't even try and sell them. I go to OfficeMax to get pencils (maybe), not to get a computer.
So while I can see Wal Mart as a potential good place to get the new iMac displayed (just because so many people go to Wal Mart (aka 'The Store') to buy everything), I can't see OfficeMax or Best Buy as good places to sell them.
<strong>I don't know if this is such a good idea. Apple is going to open more retail stores, so why create more competition?
Wal Mart selling iMacs? Sounds good because they are such a large retailer, but how would they slash prices? Would they stack boxes like Televisions in the electronics section? There is no sales pitch for any of the devices they sell at Wal Mart either. Maybe that's an advantage?
On the plus side, maybe they'd start selling Mac software.
Best Buy selling Macs again is horrifying to me. I'm sure everyone has read my story about the Best Buy sales reps basically mock an older couple (think about your grandparents) when they tried to buy an iMac. They said they would go and get it after desperately trying to talk them out of it, and when they got up to the counter to pay, two more Best Buy salespeople came up and said, "Oh you don't want that", picked up the computer and left. Thankfully, they left the store with nothing, much to the astonishment of the Best Buy reps. Having them NOT sell Macs is Addition by Subtraction.
OfficeMax seems strange to me. The only computers I've ever seen them sell are Compaqs and they don't even try and sell them. I go to OfficeMax to get pencils (maybe), not to get a computer.
So while I can see Wal Mart as a potential good place to get the new iMac displayed (just because so many people go to Wal Mart (aka 'The Store') to buy everything), I can't see OfficeMax or Best Buy as good places to sell them.</strong><hr></blockquote>
I bought my Performa 6116 at Office Max. The 155% Price Match guarantee at the time netted me a great savings, too. Way to go K-mart! (owned them)
Surprisingly the salespeople there actually knew their fair share about the Macs they were selling. Nowadays they seem to only sell Compaqs. There used to be a Gateway store inside that's now gone. It would be really cool if Apple could take that over, however our Office Max always seems dead so I don't know how much business they could do here.
I've never been to Best Buy since we don't have them around here, but from what you've all been saying I surely hope they don't go back there.
On another note the Circuit City here has a nice Mac display, but the salespeople seriously know absolutely nothing about them. There's usually one "iMac" guy to answer questions and he definitely did not know what he was doing.
"Apple... STOP! You have retail stores now! Concentrate on every major city and get them ALL over and you won't even need to acklowledge the fact that Best Buy (ack), Office Max (Double Ack), and Wal-Mart ( Who are you trying to kid) even exist!!!"
Mac Guru
<strong>All I can say if that drivel is true...
"Apple... STOP! You have retail stores now! Concentrate on every major city and get them ALL over and you won't even need to acklowledge the fact that Best Buy (ack), Office Max (Double Ack), and Wal-Mart ( Who are you trying to kid) even exist!!!"
Mac Guru</strong><hr></blockquote>
I think if done properly, perhaps placing a base iMac in Wal-Mart might bring in some new marketshare. I know the iMacs sold well at Sam's Clubs when they were there twice as a clearance item. And that was past their prime, IMO. I think a current model iMac would do fine. Especially if it's an LCD model.
<strong>I think the movement by Apple into these streetcart markets is bullshit. I don't see why we are at all discussing this since it just will not happen. As was pointed out earlier, Apple now has its own stores, in highly diverse traffic areas, it doesn't need to tarnish its image with these variety junk stores. And that is part of the Apple mystique, and something that will not go away. Apple in any store other than an Apple Store? Not any time soon.</strong><hr></blockquote>
Well although Apple does have it's own stores it doesn't have that many & it's not going to open one up in every city in the US. This is where places lice Wallmart come in.
I really hope they don't go into best buy again.
This deal is only for iMacs as the article stated. Also, Apple knows Best Buy sucks and I'm sure they would have a condition that the employees learn Mac or hire a mac guy just for that like CompUSA has (hopefully better)
The Wal Mart move I think is to just get Apple aout into the mainstream crowd so Aunt Joan can see it when she goes to buy a PS2 for little Joey. The Apple stores are nice, but they are almost as niche as the computers, so why not try and get some exposure. The new iMac would sell itself I think.