Malaysian Apple retailer swarmed by bargain hunters seeking $50 iPhone 5s

AppleInsider

Malaysian Apple retailer Switch was forced to cancel a clearance event with the iPhone 5s for $50 and iPads as low as $77, after a throng of 11,000 descended upon the company's warehouse sale.

Midnight queues were not allowed at the Switch location with the clearance items, yet formed anyway. The retailer attempted to hand out claim tickets to the first customers in line, but were flooded with customers as the store opened its doors causing an unsafe condition, and forcing the store's closure.

There was no way that the retailer was going to offer all the queued shoppers the iPhone 5s for $50, as the chain had only 10 of that particular model on offer for that price. Only one iPad Air 2 was available for $79, with a single unspecified 24-inch iMac available for about $260. In total, only 200 products were being cleared out, with most of them demonstration units.

Ultimately, the retailer had to put off the clearance sale on the iPhone 5s and other units "until further notice." After reopening, the retailer still offered shoppers small discounts on the 11-inch MacBook Air, iPhone 6 with 32GB, and iPhone X.

randominternetperson

How silly.  If they had just made it clear that they had a couple dozen devices for sale, the crowd would have never formed and would have readily dispersed.  And frankly, what's the point of even announcing such a thing, when the total sales revenue would hardly more than $1000.  Just let the employees buy them (and sell them on ebay).

soli

randominternetperson said:

How silly.  If they had just made it clear that they had a couple dozen devices for sale, the crowd would have never formed and would have readily dispersed.  And frankly, what's the point of even announcing such a thing, when the total sales revenue would hardly more than $1000.  Just let the employees buy them (and sell them on ebay).

I agree. It can also be argued that they underpriced the product to see that kind of demand. If they, say, priced them at $99 and $144 (double) would they have still sold?

brakken

In other news, Malaysian consumer law enforcers have made major improvements to retailer advertising adherence after a crazed mob of 15,000 destroyed a six-story warehouse. Although no one was critically injured, Apple executives have been wandering about grinning all day. More details at 11!

mknelson

So, former demo, store used and trade-in hardware? 24 inch iMacs were last new in 2009.

PANIC!

kevin kee

I wonder if there was a company that commanded such a strong brand power. The closest rivals possibly were Microsoft or Samsung.

[deleted user]

kevin kee said:

I wonder if there was a company that commanded such a strong brand power. The closest rivals possibly were Microsoft or Samsung.

never underestimate the pull of a bargain, it doesn't matter if people need or even want the item.

Not long ago, every Lidl store across the UK was mobbed and cleared out in seconds for a bottle of cheap plonk. It didn't even taste good, the discount was minimal but people still went crazy. I read similar stories from France when they offered 1KG tubs of Nutella for half price. 

ravnorodom

adm1 said:

kevin kee said:

I wonder if there was a company that commanded such a strong brand power. The closest rivals possibly were Microsoft or Samsung.

never underestimate the pull of a bargain, it doesn't matter if people need or even want the item.

Not long ago, every Lidl store across the UK was mobbed and cleared out in seconds for a bottle of cheap plonk. It didn't even taste good, the discount was minimal but people still went crazy. I read similar stories from France when they offered 1KG tubs of Nutella for half price. 

In U.S., it happens every Black Friday.