Apple hands out MacBook Airs, iPads, Beats headphones in 2015 "Lucky Bag" promotion
For its New Year's Fukubukuro "Lucky Bag 2015" promotion in Japan, Apple doled out big-ticket items like 11-inch MacBook Airs, iPads, iPods, Apple TVs, Beats headphones and more to buyers paying an entry fee of about $300.
Apple fans queued up to brave the cold outside Japan Apple Stores Thursday night to take advantage of the company's yearly Fukubukuro promotion, a take on the Japanese retail tradition of purchasing sealed grab bags sight-unseen. Apple's version has become famous for its huge discounts on top-tier hardware and accessories.
According to Kodawarisan, this year's four Fukubukuro configurations sold for 36,000 yen (about $300), with contents ranging in value from $640 to $1,280. Each bag came with one "big surprise," an Apple TV, a pair of Beats PowerBeats2 wireless in-ear headphones, a special New Year's edition Mophie powerstation and a 1,000 yen iTunes Card, all stuffed into an Incase ICON Slim Pack backpack.
For 2015, the most valuable bag included an 11-inch MacBook Air with 128GB SDD in addition to a limited edition Power Support Air Jacket and Twelve South's PlugBug World power adaptor. A second bag worth $1,070 traded the Mac out for a 16GB iPad Air 2 with Wi-Fi, while a third configuration worth $814 swapped in a 16GB iPad mini 3 with Wi-Fi. A final "regular" bag included a 16GB iPod touch.
A separate report from Japanese language blog Mac Otakara noted Apple Stores participating in this year's Fukubukuro sale handed out approximately 300 bags per location, good for an estimated total of 2,500 units nationwide.
Alongside Fukubukuro festivities on Friday, Apple Stores in Japan started selling special "New Year" limited edition versions of the Mophie Powerstation battery pack, UE BOOM Bluetooth speaker and Incase 13-inch MacBook sleeve.
Apple fans queued up to brave the cold outside Japan Apple Stores Thursday night to take advantage of the company's yearly Fukubukuro promotion, a take on the Japanese retail tradition of purchasing sealed grab bags sight-unseen. Apple's version has become famous for its huge discounts on top-tier hardware and accessories.
According to Kodawarisan, this year's four Fukubukuro configurations sold for 36,000 yen (about $300), with contents ranging in value from $640 to $1,280. Each bag came with one "big surprise," an Apple TV, a pair of Beats PowerBeats2 wireless in-ear headphones, a special New Year's edition Mophie powerstation and a 1,000 yen iTunes Card, all stuffed into an Incase ICON Slim Pack backpack.
For 2015, the most valuable bag included an 11-inch MacBook Air with 128GB SDD in addition to a limited edition Power Support Air Jacket and Twelve South's PlugBug World power adaptor. A second bag worth $1,070 traded the Mac out for a 16GB iPad Air 2 with Wi-Fi, while a third configuration worth $814 swapped in a 16GB iPad mini 3 with Wi-Fi. A final "regular" bag included a 16GB iPod touch.
A separate report from Japanese language blog Mac Otakara noted Apple Stores participating in this year's Fukubukuro sale handed out approximately 300 bags per location, good for an estimated total of 2,500 units nationwide.
Alongside Fukubukuro festivities on Friday, Apple Stores in Japan started selling special "New Year" limited edition versions of the Mophie Powerstation battery pack, UE BOOM Bluetooth speaker and Incase 13-inch MacBook sleeve.
Comments
I understand that this is a Japanaese tradition but why doesn't Apple afford such steep discounts anywhere else for other occasions?
Because it's Japanese tradition.
Japan didn't have any Black Friday discounts, thats an American tradition.
Because it's Japanese tradition.
Japan didn't have any Black Friday discounts, thats an American tradition.
I don’t think I’be ever seen a Black Friday event at Apple that ever came even slightly close to the deals they're offering with Lucky Bags
I don’t think I’be ever seen a Black Friday event at Apple that ever came even slightly close to the deals they're offering with Lucky Bags
Black Friday isn't restricted to 2500 people either. If Apple were to do the same promo in the US they'd have 10 bags in each store, and a riot on their hands.
I don’t think I’be ever seen a Black Friday event at Apple that ever came even slightly close to the deals they're offering with Lucky Bags
Agreed, the value in the lucky bags is definitely more than I've seen from them anywhere else before.
I understand that this is a Japanaese tradition but why doesn't Apple afford such steep discounts anywhere else for other occasions?
"All the other parents let their kids stay out as late as they want. It's not fair we have to come in when it gets dark!"
I understand that this is a Japanaese tradition but why doesn't Apple afford such steep discounts anywhere else for other occasions?
As has been stated numerous times this is considered a form of gambling in the United States so it is illegal here.
That makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.
It's considered a sweepstakes. In most states, contests must provide an equal chance to win with no purchase required. The closest Apple could do here is to allow anyone to enter a drawing, no purchase required, to win merchandise.
That makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.
Actually it does. What it boils down to is that you're essentially buying a lottery ticket which is illegal and heavily regulated in the United States.
But it’s a lottery ticket. A paid chance at winning something of value. You don’t have to win ANYTHING on a lottery ticket, and there are multiple levels of winning.
EDIT: Oh, and collectable trading cards. You could get all common cards or a rare one worth thousands. Same price for each pack.
Of course this is legal in the US.
Now, I understand that this is drastically different from "this bag has three iPads and a MacBook Air while this bag only has two iPads and a Mac Mini" since it didn't cost Apple the same amount to make all these items like it might cost VinylMation to make their figures with an arbitrary level of rarity, however, it does strike me as similar enough because you pay the same and never know what you are getting, but know that the items you get are likely to be equal to the amount you paid at minimum. Each bag comes with the same stuff plus a surprise item/items. Maybe if they listed the possible items you can get and full disclosure of how rare each item might be from bag to bag.
Or maybe I'm way off and this comparison is nowhere near the same thing. I guess, to me, it seems like the VinylMation figures are just as much a lottery ticket as a bag of Apple accessories and a big surprise item where everyone pays the same amount but some might get something really nice while others might get something less amazing.
The truth is, Apple would do this and some butt-hurt lawsuit-happy customer would probably destroy the whole thing by suing cause he/she only got the 16GB iPod touch and wasn't made properly aware that they may not get a MacBook Air through the legal print. Then they'll go on to state that Apple is trying to funnel them into iCloud Drive by artificially limiting their ability to download as many apps as they want by making iOS bigger every year and giving customers less and less space on their devices to add apps so they can milk consumers every month for extra space.
Yeah, come to think of it, this wouldn't work here. Don't do it Apple. It's a trap!
But it’s a lottery ticket. A paid chance at winning something of value. You don’t have to win ANYTHING on a lottery ticket, and there are multiple levels of winning.
EDIT: Oh, and collectable trading cards. You could get all common cards or a rare one worth thousands. Same price for each pack.
Of course this is legal in the US.
The value of trading cards is in the secondary market. Topps (or whoever makes them now) sells full sets at fixed prices, and random decks at the same fixed price. They don't operate a separate single card market. The difference with these "lucky bags" is that Apple itself sells the contents at full retail in its own stores (and at wholesale to resellers). So since $349 might get you a bag with items that Apple sells for $400 otherwise, it might also get you a bag with items that Apple sells for $1200. That's what essentially makes it a sweepstakes or lottery.
Lottery tickets are strictly regulated by states. Most of the time it is the state itself that runs the lottery. In other cases, it is considered gambling, which requires a license. You said it yourself. It's a paid chance at winning something of value. That is considered gambling in the US.
I'm not entirely sure it's acurate to claim this couldn't happen in the US. There are many "mystery box" items for sale here where you do get a list of the odds for getting any of the items in the box. You pay the same amount no matter how rare the item inside might be. For example: My fiancee collects VinylMation Disney figures. They are almost always in a mystery box (I think you can get some where you know exactly what's in the box but they are generally special edition figures and are much more expensive) where you do not know what you are getting. Each figure in the series is shown on the back of the box with the appropriate odds of getting that figure. So Mickey in pose X might be 1/12 boxes, but Mickey in pose Y might be more rare in 1/144 boxes. You pay the same but you will be getting either one.
Now, I understand that this is drastically different from "this bag has three iPads and a MacBook Air while this bag only has two iPads and a Mac Mini" since it didn't cost Apple the same amount to make all these items like it might cost VinylMation to make their figures with an arbitrary level of rarity, however, it does strike me as similar enough because you pay the same and never know what you are getting, but know that the items you get are likely to be equal to the amount you paid at minimum. Each bag comes with the same stuff plus a surprise item/items. Maybe if they listed the possible items you can get and full disclosure of how rare each item might be from bag to bag.
I think the key difference is that it isn't as if the manufacturer separately sells the "rare" dolls at retail at a significantly higher price. Instead, they sell all of them for the same price, and create multiple designs, some of which are less common than others, which fosters a secondary collectible market in which the manufacturer doesn't participate.
Apparently, nobody here lives in Hawaii where this practice is common:
http://alamoanacenter.com/App_Content/SharedDocuments/115431_2015_Fukubukuro_Flyer-f-lowres.pdf
It's a paid chance at winning something of value.
Who applies the value?
Who applies the value?
Are you kidding? The products are straight off of Apple's shelves. Go check the price tickets.