Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Apple and Costco Officially Parting Ways

LagunaSol said:
As a devoted customer of both Costco and Apple, all I can say is...lame.
Click to expand...

I really don't see the big deal.
I am just like you and at the end of the day the Apple products at Costco had the same price as the Apple retail stores. So who really cares if Costco don't sell them anymore? Apple store is just couple miles away from my nearest Costco or there is always the online store.
 
Well that sucks

Well that kind of sucks, I love costco and i love apple. They were good together. lol
 
yeah Costco had the best return policy, i could buy an iPad now, and get the iPad 2 when it comes out.
 
mcdermd said:
I've never seen a Mac in a Costco - only iPods and iTunes cards. I don't ever recall the iPods being more than $10 off "normal" retail pricing. I don't see any huge loss from a consumer standpoint.
Click to expand...

That post came from the UK, in the US I know they don't sell Macs.
 
Black Belt said:
So Apple abandons the retailer with a MUCH wealthier demographic to Walmart who sells to people who can only afford generic soda. Wow. So idiotic I almost forgot to breathe.
Click to expand...

Yet Wal-Mart is selling these same products (save the Macs) for the same pricing as Costco, and doing quite well for themselves.

So, what was your point exactly about a wealthier demographic?

And quite frankly, there are some markets in the US that do not have Costcos...but they do have Wal-Mart/Sams...and these markets are affluent.

Oh yeah...Target sells them too. There is your retailer that caters itself to the MUCH "wealthier" demographic.
 
Darn. Guess I won't be getting iTunes gift cards from the parents this Christmas.
 
G33and said:
yeah Costco had the best return policy, i could buy an iPad now, and get the iPad 2 when it comes out.
Click to expand...

Well, that's awful. I mean, that's like a free rental service. I never understood how Costco survives with people doing that all the time.
 
aloshka said:
Well, that's awful. I mean, that's like a free rental service. I never understood how Costco survives with people doing that all the time.
Click to expand...

They changed their policy on electronics awhile back. It's now 90 days for electronics but the generous policy still stands for everything else.

mcdermd said:
I've never seen a Mac in a Costco - only iPods and iTunes cards. I don't ever recall the iPods being more than $10 off "normal" retail pricing. I don't see any huge loss from a consumer standpoint.
Click to expand...

Considering how Apple controls pricing, any discount is seen as a great discount.
 
GLS said:
Yet Wal-Mart is selling these same products (save the Macs) for the same pricing as Costco, and doing quite well for themselves
Click to expand...

That's the entire reason behind Costco and Apple splitting. Costco has a 14% maximum mark-up policy on every item in the store. It would seem apparent that Costco wanted to sell the iPad but for a lower price than Apple would allow. Wal-Mart and Target don't have a maximum mark-up philosophy so they will sell for whatever price Apple wants them to sell at if it allows them to get Apple product in their stores. I don't see that there's any way you can look at Apple as on the consumer's side in this one. It seems pretty clear that Costco lost a little bit, Apple lost a little bit, WE the consumers lost the most.
 
iStig said:
I don't see that there's any way you can look at Apple as on the consumer's side in this one. It seems pretty clear that Costco lost a little bit, Apple lost a little bit, WE the consumers lost the most.
Click to expand...

Apple is not on the conusmer's side and never claims to be. Legally, Apple cannot side with the consumers. They must do everything in their power to bring the most return to the shareholders.

Costco wasn't willing to sell Apple's products on Apple's terms, so they had to move on, in the best interest of the shareholders.
 
The only surprise & irony here is that COSTCO generally carries better quality products than both Walmart and Sam's Club.

However, COSTCO significantly discounts products and that & quality is their niche.

I live near a Sam's Club that is next to a Walmart (the question begs, what's the purpose of that?), but I find that things are often cheaper at Walmart than at the Sam's Club! HAHA! Go figure.

I know the fanboys are going to slam COSTCO, but honestly, they're a better store and company in all honesty.

Obviously, the Steve Jobs model of quality over quantity has been severely "Reality Distortion Field" adjusted.

I don't think COSTCO will be harmed by this at all. Not being able to discount products in fact harms their business model. So Apple's business model harms their business model in my opinion.

Apple has chosen quantity over quality once again, go figure.
Hmmm, seems like a pattern.
 
Boy was this a good laugh:

Costco: "Why don't we have iPads Steve!?!?"
Apple: "We're not playing your discount game with iPad.."
Costco: "Fine; We're done selling your products... You lose!"

Costco probably wasn't making hardly anything on Apple products anyway (since they sold everything at well below MSRP) I just loved how Costco handled the situation! :p
 
HyperZboy said:
I know the fanboys are going to slam COSTCO, but honestly, they're a better store and company in all honesty.
Click to expand...

It's not about the store/company. It's about Costco not doing what they needed to keep being an Apple distributor.
 
iStig said:
That's the entire reason behind Costco and Apple splitting. Costco has a 14% maximum mark-up policy on every item in the store. It would seem apparent that Costco wanted to sell the iPad but for a lower price than Apple would allow. Wal-Mart and Target don't have a maximum mark-up philosophy so they will sell for whatever price Apple wants them to sell at if it allows them to get Apple product in their stores. I don't see that there's any way you can look at Apple as on the consumer's side in this one. It seems pretty clear that Costco lost a little bit, Apple lost a little bit, WE the consumers lost the most.
Click to expand...

Costco blew it. Their policy might be 14% markup only, but you can bet your ass that if they wanted to continue the relationship with Apple, they could have made an allowance.

Look at it from another view. Apple needed Costco far, far less than Costco needs Apple. While I am not privy to how many devices Costco sold that had the Apple logo on it...to simply banish them from their premises due to a pricing issue with Apple is shortsighted on their part. Every device that could have been potentially sold in a Costco store...is now gone, seemingly forever. Apple didn't lose any, because other retailers exist to sell their product.

Lastly, I am not familiar with Costco. Yes, I'm aware of what they are, but the nearest is 400 miles from me.
 
rkaufmann87 said:
That post came from the UK, in the US I know they don't sell Macs.
Click to expand...

They have in the past. I have purchased a Mac Mini (bundle) there. For a while, they also had iMacs. It was a few years ago, and by no means a regular item, but there have been instances where they have sold more than iPods.
 
G33and said:
yeah Costco had the best return policy, i could buy an iPad now, and get the iPad 2 when it comes out.
Click to expand...

On behalf of Costco customers everywhere, thank you for ruining their liberal return policies and scamming the system at the expense of all other members.

Seriously, thanks. :rolleyes:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back