Apple's European Black Friday deals offer discounts instead of gift cards

Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
Unlike its Australian Black Friday deals, Apple is discounting products instead of handing out gift cards, suggesting the company is tailoring this years sales based on the demands of each geographic location to which it caters.

Black Friday


At this point, major markets like the UK, France and Germany are showing discounts on various Macs, iPads and accessories, with nary a mention of the gift card strategy introduced in Australia and New Zealand earlier on Thursday.

A quick look at the discounts shows moderate savings from six to eight percent in most cases. For example, the UK Apple Online Store is taking ?31 off the 16GB iPad Air, or ?25 off the iPad 2. The MacBook Pro, MacBook Air and iMac are all getting ?81 taken off their retail price, while the iPod touch and the Apple TV are priced at ?25 and ?15 off.

It is unknown which discount system Apple will implement when Black Friday hits North America, but the company has traditionally offered discounts to customers on the biggest shopping day of the year.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 18
    Ummm%u2014what about Japan? If US BF deals are good for Europe and the Antipodes, why should other regions lose out?
  • Reply 2 of 18

    This is exactly what I would have expected. To assume that something that happens on a 'Black Friday' in Australia would be relevant to what happens in the US was far-fetched. It's not like it's a new product rollout or some such thing....

     

    Unless Apple competes in the US with what other retailers are offering in the US, it would be rather pointless of them to do a sale, no?

     

    We'll know tomorrow.

  • Reply 3 of 18
    john.bjohn.b Posts: 2,742member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by John.B View Post

     

    Boo.  :(


     

    Yay!  :)

  • Reply 4 of 18
    gtrgtr Posts: 3,231member

    Being an Australian, I see this as a classic case of racism.

     

    This would never have happened if Steve Jobs were alive.

     

    And I should know, because I own Apple stock, thirty six Macs, three iPhones, two iPads, and a partridge in a pear tree.

     

    Apple is doomed.

  • Reply 5 of 18
    It is possible that the reason they aren't doing the gift card thing is legal. As in it might not be in Europe so they have no choice unless they want to do nothing. As Apple rarely does that game.

    Based on how they handle the whole back to school promo, giving gift cards might be legal so it could happen in the US.

    Or the issue could be that Pacifica was a test and the turn out sucked so they changed games.
  • Reply 6 of 18
    plankton wrote: »
    Ummm%u2014what about Japan? If US BF deals are good for Europe and the Antipodes, why should other regions lose out?
    In many parts of Asia, including Hong Kong, Thailand, China, and I'm guessing Japan, we have a Lunar New Year discount instead.
  • Reply 7 of 18
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by tonton View Post





    In many parts of Asia, including Hong Kong, Thailand, China, and I'm guessing Japan, we have a Lunar New Year discount instead.

    Nope—not in Japan.

    The best they can manage is a few Lucky Dip bags for 32,000 yen where one or two in 1000 people win a MacBook Air, a few more get an iPad, and the rest of us get 32,000 yen's worth of old stock and stuff that is not shifting well in the stores. And for this privilege, you have too queue all night outside the store.

    AJ has non-existent discounting for 364 days a year.

  • Reply 8 of 18
    richlrichl Posts: 2,213member

    Good discounts on B&W range of speakers.

     

    *orders another Apple TV*

  • Reply 9 of 18

    US store got screwed.  Lame gift cards, no discounts.  Even Target beat Apple by offering $100 Gift Cards instead of $75 Gift Cards.  Unfortunately, Target is out of stock of the 128GB iPad Air.  They had plenty of 32GB and 64GB models in the Los Angeles area.

  • Reply 10 of 18
    Apple, you cheap f**kers! People are short of money and you give them crappy Apple Store Gift Cards?!? They're not even iTunes cards (as I understand it).

    I got $60 off my iPad 4 Black Friday 2012. No stupid, worthless gift card.

    You've got 100 bazillion dollars in cash!
  • Reply 11 of 18
    In GERMANY, where I live, Apple discounts Macs for approx 100 Euro and other devices for just some percentage. The better deal comes from AMEX: Shop in the US until 2.12.13 an we will py tax and duty complete for you.

    That means: I can book a reward flight with AMEX to NY, shop a MBP for 2.000 US$ and just pay 1.470 Euro for that. It's a discount of more than 25 percent :-)

    See you in NY @Apple Store, Mac-Harry from Germany :-)
  • Reply 12 of 18
    gtr wrote: »
    And I should know, because I own Apple stock, thirty six Macs, three iPhones, two iPads, and a partridge in a pear tree.

    Apple is doomed.

    You should've written that you have one of each. Since 1975.
  • Reply 13 of 18
    adybadyb Posts: 205member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by GTR View Post

     

    Being an Australian...........

     

    .......... and a partridge in a pear tree.

     

    Apple is doomed.


     

    I think this is the point at which a comment is so sarcastic that you can safely not use /s.  Well played!!

  • Reply 14 of 18
    asciiascii Posts: 5,936member

    There's no such thing as Black Friday in Australia, people don't expect it and I don't even know why they're bothering. Traditionally there are the January sales, where stores clear out their stock after Christmas, that is when they will be left out if they don't offer something.

  • Reply 15 of 18
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Rickers View Post



    Apple, you cheap f**kers! People are short of money and you give them crappy Apple Store Gift Cards?!? They're not even iTunes cards (as I understand it).



    I got $60 off my iPad 4 Black Friday 2012. No stupid, worthless gift card.



    You've got 100 bazillion dollars in cash!

    if people are short of money, they shouldn't be buying new ipads. it's a luxury item at a premium price. 

  • Reply 16 of 18
    Originally Posted by hillstones View Post

    Even Target beat Apple by offering $100 Gift Cards instead of $75 Gift Cards.

     

    I see $150 in some cases. 

     

    Unfortunately, Target is out of stock of the 128GB iPad Air.


     

    Well, now. Looks like you’ll have to buy from Apple, then.

     

    Originally Posted by Rickers View Post

    Apple, you business! People are short of money and you give them useful Apple Store Gift Cards so that instead of spending more money (being short of money and all) they can use said cards as gifts?!? They’re not even iTunes cards (as I understand it), which is great, because people with even less money than me could do with that extra leg up a $150 card would bring to a Mac purchaseI got $60 off my iPad 4 Black Friday 2012. No useful gift card. You’ve got 100 bazillion dollars in cash because you’re a business!



    Fixed.

  • Reply 17 of 18
    In GERMANY, where I live, Apple discounts Macs for approx 100 Euro and other devices for just some percentage. The better deal comes from AMEX: Shop in the US until 2.12.13 an we will py tax and duty complete for you.

    That means: I can book a reward flight with AMEX to NY, shop a MBP for 2.000 US$ and just pay 1.470 Euro for that. It's a discount of more than 25 percent :-)

    See you in NY @Apple Store, Mac-Harry from Germany :-)

    Do take note of the import costs laid upon you if some jerk* at the gate wants to open your bag. No invoice with you showing you bought it in Germany? No problem sir, "just mail it to us within a fortnight".

    And then you're screwed. For anything ? € 178

    *

    400
  • Reply 18 of 18
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member

    bleep

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