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Apple and Costco Officially Parting Ways
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Same for Apple, they have plenty of retail channels and people who want an Apple product will buy it somewhere else. It seems like both companies don't really need each other, which is perhaps why they split.
Its a bummer that Costco won't sell iPods anymore. I never considered them my "go to" iPod retail store whenever I shopped there, but I'm sure many people did.
I'm another person who is a regular customer of both Costo and Apple.
And another person who is disappointed with this outcome.
2) Apple will indeed lose sales from this. You can bet your ass that they will. Costco is not a low-end super-low-price location for this sort of thing. They tend to stock high quality goods at mid-range prices (generalizing here). Their customers are very much the sort of customers that buy Apple products, and having those Apple products in the Costco stores would result in sales that would have gone to other companies, or not taken place, otherwise. It just won't be enough sales to ruin Apple's day. Whatever their point of contention (online sales, price, or whatever it may have been) it just happened to be a bigger deal.
And another person who is disappointed with this outcome.
1) Costco did not need Apple (just as Apple did not need Costco).
2) Apple will indeed lose sales from this. You can bet your ass that they will. Costco is not a low-end super-low-price location for this sort of thing. They tend to stock high quality goods at mid-range prices (generalizing here). Their customers are very much the sort of customers that buy Apple products, and having those Apple products in the Costco stores would result in sales that would have gone to other companies, or not taken place, otherwise. It just won't be enough sales to ruin Apple's day. Whatever their point of contention (online sales, price, or whatever it may have been) it just happened to be a bigger deal.
Amazing that a person can show so much ignorance by deciding how much a person can afford based on where they shop. You might want to redirect that comment to the originator.
Exactly, now Microsoft can cop another sale of Windows 7 that comes preinstalled on a $199 laptop.
Sorry bud, it may not be nice, but your position here is incorrect one (or you simply misunderstood). The demographic shopping at Costco is far and away more affluent than the demographic shopping at Walmart. It is like comparing a Kia to a Lexus.Amazing that a person can show so much ignorance by deciding how much a person can afford based on where they shop. You might want to redirect that comment to the originator.
Now, as you say, you cannot pass judgement on a single person based on where they shop (some wealthy folks shop at Walmart), but you can make generalizations about groups, and that's what the other fellow was doing.
I see this as very little loss to Costco. Hell if anything it might mean more profit to Costco because my guess is Apple stuff gave little if any profit to Costco. Apple will be hurt more by it than Costco.
Box Stores - never a great deal for Apple
Never found Apple products to be all of that great of a deal at Costco, BJs or Sam's. Given the great deals you can get for other products, it is a bit misleading for them to even have floor space. Best deal for Apple products are Amazon (think tax/free shipping) and Apple Store (Refurbished section), bar none.
This raises my respect for Costco actually. They have standards for what deals they offer their members. Excellent.
Never found Apple products to be all of that great of a deal at Costco, BJs or Sam's. Given the great deals you can get for other products, it is a bit misleading for them to even have floor space. Best deal for Apple products are Amazon (think tax/free shipping) and Apple Store (Refurbished section), bar none.
This raises my respect for Costco actually. They have standards for what deals they offer their members. Excellent.
Generalizing? No, he was not. He was saying that as a whole and insulting anyone that Walmart sells to. Here's his quote:
"Walmart who sells to people who can only afford generic soda"
You're defending the wrong person.
Too bad... I liked getting iTunes card a discount
Me too. Any other legitimate sources of iTunes credit at even a slight discount?
B
If someone wants Apple hardware, they will go to which ever store sells Apple hardware. Apple isn't going to lose any sales over this move...
Sorry. If you were attacking that specific line I understand and agree. It was unwarranted and untrue. I took away from your response that you were attacking a recognition in the difference between the demographics.
It might seem that way spending time in a forum like this one, but not everyone buying Apple products is buying Apple products because they want an Apple product. Some are buying a computer. Some are buying an MP3 player. And for these people having the option to buy an Apple product will make the difference. A lot of these customers aren't overly concerned with technology and may simply be buying a type of product for themselves, on a whim, or as a present.
Not sure how important Costco was to Apple considering it wasn't much of a discount. Although it did give them more exposure. In the long run it won't make a difference.
WOW i didn't know that Mtn Dew was generic soda, I wonder if PepsiCo knows that.
Just because one shop at Walmarts means absolutely nothing.
but anyway back on topic.
If i was Apple i would want as many stores to carry my product as i could. the more people that get access to your product the more chances you have to make a sell. Apple is the one that needs Costco more then Costco needs Apple. Apple should have went above and beyond the call of duty to keep their product/s there. by not having Costco not selling their products isnt going to kill Apple, its just they have a slight bit less a chance to make a sell.
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You could also buy it at an Apple store, Best Buy, or Apple.com, all three of which have better shopper demographics than CostCo (depending on the BestBuy's location). Also, Apple's direct service has been the industry's envy for a while.
Furthermore, I would never call CostCo's shoppers anything special, but to label everyone else "unwashed masses" is both offensive and stupid. Considering CostCo, mostly, is in rural areas, you could just call those masses you dislike minorities like everyone else. Finally, please stop pretending that that warehouse club is anything but a hangar of merchandise for poor white trash. CostCo is not "high end" and never was.
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Agreed. What many people don't understand is that Costco needs apple like a frickin hole in the head. They're making bank with a whole bunch of other vendors who will work with them. I think it would be in apples better interest to work with Costco, but if they don't want to fine. Costco won't be taking any losses from this, they don't care.
That's to bad, and rather disappointing. I'm quite surprised they couldn't have worked out some sort of deal that both sides could find agreeable.
Personally I tend to buy most of my Apple products directly from Apple, but I did always like seeing them in Costco, and I would buy iTunes gift cards there, as well as iPods. This seems like a tripple loss to me, for Costco, Apple, and the customers. Oh well, maybe next year, or the year after that they'll get it figured out.
Personally I tend to buy most of my Apple products directly from Apple, but I did always like seeing them in Costco, and I would buy iTunes gift cards there, as well as iPods. This seems like a tripple loss to me, for Costco, Apple, and the customers. Oh well, maybe next year, or the year after that they'll get it figured out.
