Gee. What's this little study tell you about how Apple treats it's dealers? Can anyone say unfair trade practises?

Gee. What's this little study tell you about how Apple treats it's dealers? Can anyone say unfair trade practises?

Not to say the Apple is without fault, but there is always the possiblility they simply didn't order enough or have not made it though some of the larger companies supply chain. Having been involved in retail electronics for the last 20 yesrs, you don't want to order 200 of a product and only sell 50.

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Guest wrote:
Gee. What's this little study tell you about how Apple treats it's dealers? Can anyone say unfair trade practises?

How well did the 3rd party stores treat Apple? Many of them pushed Windows computers and other MP3 players while disparaging Apple. Not to mention they had the Apple section of the store tucked away in a far corner where it was neglected. Now that the iPod is ruling the roost, they want Apple to be their new best friend and indeed have spruced up the Apple section

Furthermore, it has been my experience that shopping at an Apple retail store makes you feel like a very important customer no matter how small the purchase. I have also felt that way at some of the very Apple-centric 3rd party stores. I have not always been treated that way at multibox stores, there are exceptions of course.

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Al Swearengen wrote:

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Guest wrote:
Gee. What's this little study tell you about how Apple treats it's dealers? Can anyone say unfair trade practises?

How well did the 3rd party stores treat Apple? Many of them pushed Windows computers and other MP3 players while disparaging Apple. Not to mention they had the Apple section of the store tucked away in a far corner where it was neglected. Now that the iPod is ruling the roost, they want Apple to be their new best friend and indeed have spruced up the Apple section

Furthermore, it has been my experience that shopping at an Apple retail store makes you feel like a very important customer no matter how small the purchase. I have also felt that way at some of the very Apple-centric 3rd party stores. I have not always been treated that way at multibox stores, there are exceptions of course.

What he said.

Why should Apple have to supply all sellers of their product equally? It's their product. They are putting themselves at risk by operating their own chain of retail stores. Are third party retailers sharing in this risk? In a word, 'no'. They are benefitting from the opportunity to make a profit off of a product that Apple spent millions of dollars to bring to market, and Apple continues to spend millions on product development, advertising and working with other suppliers of products that enhance the value of their product. Your parents raise you until you are 18 years of age. They don't owe you an allowance for life. Apple doesn't owe it to 3rd party resellers to supply them with product, when doing so would starve their own stores of that very same product. If you like corporate socialism, go live in Europe. They've got lots of it over there. I'm sure you are Mr. Marx will be very happy together.

It is very likely that Apple's ability to predict demand is far better than your average retailer. Apple has consistently had better supply chain management than Dell over the last 2 years and Dell is very very good. It doesn't have to a conspiracy.

I've been a die-hard Apple fan since the early 80s and now have many friends and business associates who work for a Mac-only store that has been in business since the early 90s. Even when Apple was looking like it was headed for the toilet this small locally-owned retailer stuck with them and evangelized like crazy. It was these mom and pop stores that kept Apple afloat long enough for them to finally make some good business moves and become the company you see today.

I can tell you first hand that Apple consistently delays shipments to this 3rd-party store, sometimes leaving them without ANY stock of popular models for WEEKS while ALL THREE local Apple stores are fully supplied. Frequently even national chains like Best Buy have received stock first. Oh, and they're opening a fourth Apple store in 2006.

I still love Apple and will to the day I die, but the way they treat their retailers just makes me sick and ashamed.

I do think Apple should supply many 3rd party retailers better than it does. Originally these were the only places you could see and buy Apple products. Often experiences were hit and miss, but Apple needs to do better with the good iPod/Mac retailers.