Another UK Apple retailer gone :-(

[MajorFubar]

Well that’s another UK Apple retailer gone: Western Computers in Preston Lancashire.

I wonder when Apple are going to figure out that their pricing structure of basically just swapping the $ sign for the £ sign won’t work over here when the average salary in the UK is £35k a year compared to $60k+ the US? And do they even care?

 

[theluggage]

I wonder when Apple are going to figure out that their pricing structure of basically just swapping the $ sign for the £ sign

That practice was atrocious back in the days when the pound was knocking on $2 and VAT was lower (and rarely included in computer prices) and people were getting cheap flights to New York to buy their Macs...

Today, with Apple UK prices including 20% VAT (and Apple US prices excluding tax) and £1 = $1.25. the maths is "divide by 1.25 to get £ then multiply by 1.2 to add VAT" so they're only really jacking the UK prices by about 4%.

 

[MajorFubar]

Yeah but that's 4% in a market where our income is lower to start with and the general cost of living is at least equal or higher.
A $1,000 product represents about 1/60th of the average US salary according to online stats.
In the UK it's 1/35th. Huge difference.