Wal-Mart to begin selling iPhone post holidays - reports
Mega-discount chain Wal-Mart, along with subsidiary Sams Clubs, will join Best Buy in offering Apple's iPhone 3G to their customers just days after Christmas, according to new reports.
In an email to clients on Wednesday, JRPG Research analyst Jamie Townsend said his firm has reason to believe that Wal-Mart will begin stocking the touch-screen handset by the end of December.
"We expect purchase of an iPhone will still require a two year contract with AT&T and is likely to be priced the same or less than at AT&T or Apple stores," he wrote.
The analyst, who is forecasting Apple to sell 8 million of the devices during the three-month period ending December, said the move would reinforce confidence that AT&T will be able to maintain strong new subscriber growth amid a slowdown in the consumer market.
He expects Apple will be just one of several smartphone vendors that will ramp up competition in the smartphone market by discounting their excess inventories immediately following the Christmas holiday.
Townsend's report echos claims published by BGR on Tuesday. The mobile phone rumor site published a memo from Wal-Mart to its employees announcing plans to launch the iPhone nationally on December 28th.
"We are pleased to announce that Wal-Mart has reached agreement with Apple to offer iPhone 3G in Wal-Mart and Wal-Mart-managed Sam’s Club Connection Centers nationwide beginning December 28, 2008," the memo says. "AT&T will support Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club with the activation process for iPhone 3G, and we need all National Retail employees engaged to ensure a successful launch."
In total, approximately 2,500 Wal-Mart locations and 69 Sam’s Club locations that use the discount chain's ordering system are expected to carry the device. Training for Wal-Mart employees is schedule to begin early next month, running up to the post-Christmas launch.
Wal-Mart is the world's largest public corporation and private employer, operating over 3500 Discount and Supercenter locations in the United States, in addition to more than 500 Sam's Club warehouse clubs. The retailer is also one of Apple's highest volume iPod resellers worldwide.
In his email Wednesday, Townsend also suggested the possibility that Sam's Club's larger rival, Costco, may also be in line to carry the iPhone post-holidays, though no further details were provided.
Rumors that Wal-Mart was next in line for the Apple handset began swirling last month, though they originally suggested that the discount chain would begin selling the device on November 15th.
In an email to clients on Wednesday, JRPG Research analyst Jamie Townsend said his firm has reason to believe that Wal-Mart will begin stocking the touch-screen handset by the end of December.
"We expect purchase of an iPhone will still require a two year contract with AT&T and is likely to be priced the same or less than at AT&T or Apple stores," he wrote.
The analyst, who is forecasting Apple to sell 8 million of the devices during the three-month period ending December, said the move would reinforce confidence that AT&T will be able to maintain strong new subscriber growth amid a slowdown in the consumer market.
He expects Apple will be just one of several smartphone vendors that will ramp up competition in the smartphone market by discounting their excess inventories immediately following the Christmas holiday.
Townsend's report echos claims published by BGR on Tuesday. The mobile phone rumor site published a memo from Wal-Mart to its employees announcing plans to launch the iPhone nationally on December 28th.
"We are pleased to announce that Wal-Mart has reached agreement with Apple to offer iPhone 3G in Wal-Mart and Wal-Mart-managed Sam’s Club Connection Centers nationwide beginning December 28, 2008," the memo says. "AT&T will support Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club with the activation process for iPhone 3G, and we need all National Retail employees engaged to ensure a successful launch."
In total, approximately 2,500 Wal-Mart locations and 69 Sam’s Club locations that use the discount chain's ordering system are expected to carry the device. Training for Wal-Mart employees is schedule to begin early next month, running up to the post-Christmas launch.
Wal-Mart is the world's largest public corporation and private employer, operating over 3500 Discount and Supercenter locations in the United States, in addition to more than 500 Sam's Club warehouse clubs. The retailer is also one of Apple's highest volume iPod resellers worldwide.
In his email Wednesday, Townsend also suggested the possibility that Sam's Club's larger rival, Costco, may also be in line to carry the iPhone post-holidays, though no further details were provided.
Rumors that Wal-Mart was next in line for the Apple handset began swirling last month, though they originally suggested that the discount chain would begin selling the device on November 15th.
Comments
I'm not big on Wal-Mart or Costco, but this is a good business move.
No. A good business move would be to make this happen before xmas. Many people are cutting back this year and having your product in a store where they are going to go in an attempt to save $$$ would be good.
Dont get me wrong, I like that they are selling them there, just wish it was sooner.
No. A good business move would be to make this happen before xmas.
I agree.
No. A good business move would be to make this happen before xmas. Many people are cutting back this year and having your product in a store where they are going to go in an attempt to save $$$ would be good.
Dont get me wrong, I like that they are selling them there, just wish it was sooner.
Your right the sooner the better, but most won't be shopping for iPhones this Xmas i think, cause you can't leave the store without the phone activated, but what a lot of people would be doing is returning shit to get iphones after Xmas and that's what they're aiming at i think
Gosh, markb and CREB, I wonder if Apple thought of that? Hmmm. iPhone in Wal-Mart BEFORE Christmas, not AFTER. Hmmm. What a revolutionary concept! Looks like someone in Cupertino wasn't looking at his or her calendar, huh? Yep, someone's MBA needs further examination. Think I'll go apply for THAT job . . . or maybe you guys should! Clearly, we're ALL more qualified than those boobs in California.
Sometimes I wonder. Apple clearly has done pretty well, I hope they don't make blunders due to cockiness.
In this case though, it may be just a supply issue.
Gosh, markb and CREB, I wonder if Apple thought of that? Hmmm. iPhone in Wal-Mart BEFORE Christmas, not AFTER. Hmmm. What a revolutionary concept! Looks like someone in Cupertino wasn't looking at his or her calendar, huh? Yep, someone's MBA needs further examination. Think I'll go apply for THAT job . . . or maybe you guys should! Clearly, we're ALL more qualified than those boobs in California.
Do you think their arrangement with Best Buy could have anything to do with it?
Do you know for certain that a sufficient supply of iPhones to stock WalMart will
be available in the pre-Christmas time frame?
Do you think their arrangement with Best Buy could have anything to do with it?
Do you know for certain that a sufficient supply of iPhones to stock WalMart will
be available in the pre-Christmas time frame?
Neither matters in this decision to sell potential gifts the day after Christmas- especially in this economy. Only people trafficking in the stores then will be those exchanging gifts for ca$h.
It also looks like potential bad PR- "Wal-Mart/Sam's Club to sell iPhones after Christmas"- it could be perceived as a clearance sale.
Neither matters in this decision to sell potential gifts the day after Christmas- especially in this economy. Only people trafficking in the stores then will be those exchanging gifts for ca$h.
It also looks like potential bad PR- "Wal-Mart/Sam's Club to sell iPhones after Christmas"- it could be perceived as a clearance sale.
Come to think of it, it very well might be the first phase in a clearance sale of sorts. If Apple starts selling the iPhone in Wal-Mart in January, that will give them a few months to get rid of stock before the inevitable launch of the iPhone 3.0 in the summer.
Your right the sooner the better, but most won't be shopping for iPhones this Xmas i think, cause you can't leave the store without the phone activated, but what a lot of people would be doing is returning shit to get iphones after Xmas and that's what they're aiming at i think
They very well might be buying iPhones if they are sold at Walmart (ya know, the perceived best place to get a good deal) people will think, hmm, this must be a good deal (no, I'm not even remotely kidding about how the masses view things at Walmart). Also, the US isn't quite as big about Boxing Day as maybe some other countries... (At least as far as I've seen)
We complain about Apple doing too much, and now complain about Apple not doing enough.
75 countries worldwide by the end of the year? Perhaps there IS a supply issue that would be a bigger upset to Apple if they went into WalMart before Christmas and you went in there and... well, no stock until AFTER Christmas.
Apple is growing its supply change, but for googness sake, let them do it the way they see fit.
We don't have ANY concrete facts to show why Apple hasn't put the phone into WalMart before Christmas including the possible supply issue, an issue whether At&T can handle both Best Buy and WalMart activations at this time, etc. etc. etc.
As someone said above, Apple overall does do a pretty decent job of marketing. Let's leave it to them.
Maybe MS didn't want the pre-christmas iPhone. Just a guess. ("It's all in the numbers" a Robert S. McNamara quote).
Gosh, markb and CREB, I wonder if Apple thought of that? Hmmm. iPhone in Wal-Mart BEFORE Christmas, not AFTER. Hmmm. What a revolutionary concept! Looks like someone in Cupertino wasn't looking at his or her calendar, huh? Yep, someone's MBA needs further examination. Think I'll go apply for THAT job . . . or maybe you guys should! Clearly, we're ALL more qualified than those boobs in California.
The timing might have to do with getting people to go into an Apple, hence, potentially more Apple store sales, versus letting them go into Costco or Wal-Mart during the holiday shopping season. Apple has always sold an "experience," something you do not get in an AT&T store and you sure as hell do not get in a Costco or Wal-Mart store.¯
Dang it!