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Apple Stores across Japan have today begun selling different configurations of the Fukubukuro, or "lucky bag", giving customers the chance to purchase a random assortment of products sold at a steep discount, reports Japanese blog Mac Otakara [Google Translate].

This year's lucky bags, which sell for 36,000 yen, or $345, come in four different configurations with certain items appearing in every bag, including a t-shirt commemorating the event, an Incase City Collection Compact Backpack in a special red color, and a Mophie Juice Pack PowerStation Mini with a design to match the grab bag.

MacBook-Air-Lucky-Bag-.jpg
MacBook Air Lucky Bag (Source: App Bank, Google Translate)

Different items between the bundles however differ greatly, with one configuration of the bag offering a 11-inch MacBook Air with a Power Support Air Jacket, an Apple Magic Mouse, and a Beats by Dre Pill Bluetooth speaker, and another variant of the bag offering a Wi-Fi only iPad Air with Smart Cover, Nike+ FuelBand SE, Phillips Hue Starter Kit, and Square Reader.

iPod-Nano-Lucky-Bag.jpg
iPod Nano Lucky Bag (Source: App Bank, Google Translate)

The other two versions of the lucky bags are highlighted by the inclusion of either a non-Retina iPad Mini or 7th generation iPod nano, with items such as the Jaybirds BlueBuds X Bluetooth headphones, the IZON View remote camera, and a Logicool (known as Logitech in the U.S.) Ultimate Ears Mobile Boombox as well.

iPad-mini-Lucky-Bag.jpg
iPad mini Lucky Bag (Source: Mac Otakara)

Apple's grab bags are sold as is, and returns are not accepted unless a product is found to be defective. Still, the bags have been quick sellers on previous occasions, with many people lining up the night before to get their hands on a bag.

As with past years, Apple's Lucky Bag promotion is limited to customers of Apple retail locations in Japan, though other countries, like China, may see the same traditional Apple Store sales during the new year.

Article Link: 'Lucky Bags' Go on Sale at Japanese Apple Stores, Big-Ticket Items Included
 

marioguarneros

macrumors regular
Nov 2, 2011
156
71
Those bags are not bad at all!

I guess people here will still complain:

-Why is this not happening in my country?
-This bags are rubbish.
-I already have a MacBook Air, iPad, etc.
-They are too expensive!

Blah, blah, blah you get the idea from all the other posts in the forum.

Congrats to whoever did actually buy their surprise bags! =)
 
Last edited:

gnasher729

Suspended
Nov 25, 2005
17,980
5,565
But doesn't it push sales?

There can be a huge amount of legal and other problems, depending where you are.

One: Obviously the store won't accept returns if you don't like the contents, just like you can't return a lottery ticket that didn't win. Not accepting returns might be illegal in some country.

Two: Not telling you exactly what you get in a sale might be illegal in some country.

Three: In some country, this might be considered to be a lottery, and a store would need a license to run a lottery which might be hard to get, or a lottery might be illegal.

Four: Depending on the attitude of customers, people who got less than they expected might get angry and cause the store more trouble than this is worth. Obviously culture dependent.

Fifth: Depending on the attitude of customers, they might deeply distrust an offer like this and expect to be ripped off, so very few would buy and many would think that the store attempted to rip them off, which is not good for business. Obviously culture dependent.

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As with past years, Apple's Lucky Bag promotion is limited to Japanese customers, ...

I suppose it is not limited to Japanese customers, but to customers who go to an Apple Store in Japan, right? Japanese customers turning up in a store in New York won't get a "Lucky Bag", and I won't be refused one in Tokyo because I'm not Japanese?
 

Lucky736

macrumors 6502a
Jan 18, 2004
991
661
US
Four: Depending on the attitude of customers, people who got less than they expected might get angry and cause the store more trouble than this is worth. Obviously culture dependent.

Exactly why the US will never see this.
 

firedept

macrumors 603
Jul 8, 2011
6,277
1,130
Somewhere!
I would enjoy this here. Have a nephew who lives in Japan and grabs this all the time. He claims it is always quite the deal.
 

alexgowers

macrumors 65816
Jun 3, 2012
1,338
892
I know most would say I want that in my country but the article maybe misleading. I suspect the top MacBook Air bag is hard to win or less abundant than others so this really isn't the great deal you'd expect. Still much better odds than any lottery.

Apple markets their products so well in every country differently. PR is still worst out of any tech company though, apple has an image of smugness that just won't go.
 

Jessica Lares

macrumors G3
Oct 31, 2009
9,612
1,055
Near Dallas, Texas, USA
The US got the 12 days of apps this year and look what happened. :rolleyes: The App Store is a total mess and most are whining because they think they're entitled to more than they're being offered.

We're not culturally stable enough in the US to have something like this. Everyone has $345 to blow, especially when it mean they're getting $1,000+ worth of stuff. Look at what happens on Black Friday.
 

sixrom

macrumors 6502a
Nov 13, 2013
709
1
The caption for the Macbook Air says that it is an iPad Air?

Air is Apples new buzz word for more money, more money, well you get the idea. Air this, Happy That, it's all about making sure the buzz is easily generated and high gross profits continue to roll in.

In other news 2014 might be the year the much dreaded "larger" (read fat) iPhone appears.. :)
 

Zellio

macrumors 65816
Feb 7, 2012
1,165
474
Air is Apples new buzz word for more money, more money, well you get the idea. Air this, Happy That, it's all about making sure the buzz is easily generated and high gross profits continue to roll in.

In other news 2014 might be the year the much dreaded "larger" (read fat) iPhone appears.. :)

You mean both the iPhone pro and the iPad pro...
 

claus1225

macrumors member
May 25, 2009
97
2
totally a waste of money. the chance of getting a mac air is probably 1 in 10 or 20.

why would anyone spend $345 on belkin case.

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Even the 'unlucky' bag is worth close to the $345...

anyone bored enough to do a price break down?

are you kidding me? none of the bags are worth it unless you get mac air
 

Iconoclysm

macrumors 68040
May 13, 2010
3,110
2,512
Washington, DC
totally a waste of money. the chance of getting a mac air is probably 1 in 10 or 20.

why would anyone spend $345 on belkin case.

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are you kidding me? none of the bags are worth it unless you get mac air

Oh really? An iPad mini that costs $299 isn't worth $345 including a $100 bag and a $60 battery? iPad Air at $499 plus a $50 smart cover not worth $345? $149 iPod nano with another $200 worth of stuff not worth $345? Math not your strong suit?
 

Iconoclysm

macrumors 68040
May 13, 2010
3,110
2,512
Washington, DC
You do know that not all bags come with big ticket items?

Yes, there are four different bags, the least of which includes a $150 iPod nano....the iPad mini and iPad Air bags go far beyond the $345. He said only the $1000 MBA was worth it...then again, he also assumed 1 in 10 or 20 of these got the laptop when it's probably more like 1 in 100 or 200.
 
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