Apple's MacBook Pro and MacBook Air Get Major Discounts at Best Buy, Save Up to $300 This Weekend Only

[Neepman]

Looks like I get to restate the obvious ( along with everyone else...) that these machines are a pointless purchase with 8gb of Ram.

 

[ThailandToo]

Looks like I get to restate the obvious ( along with everyone else...) that these machines are a pointless purchase with 8gb of Ram.

You’re completely wrong! Bunch of configurations are discounted.

 

[3SQ Machine]

I've gotten a lot of great deals at Best Buy lately, a couple things I learned recently:

• Store manager has the authority to knock a price down on a new unit usually $100-$200 or more to make a sale. YMMV depending on how busy it is and if you can get in front of a hopefully nice manager. They basically look to see the lowest price BB ever offered on a laptop and match even if not on sale.
• Store managers have vast flexibility to knock down prices on open box units--sometimes by hundreds of dollars. If you find an open box in excellent condition, they have the authority to make it a "fair" or "satisfactory" condition to do the deal. They'll even go below the lowest OB price on the unit by $200.
• If the store is out-of-stock but a nearby store has one, get the manager to call the other manager and agree on a (reduced) price before driving over.
• Of course, research all the major outlets (B&H Photo, Amazon, Costco, etc.) and get use their prices to do a price match if lower.

I had no idea you could negotiate like this with a big box retailer like Best Buy, but now that I've learned it's totally changed the way I shop there.

 

[webkit]

I actually believe Apple works with Best Buy and Amazon and perhaps some other retailers to dump inventory. I mean I don’t think Best Buy is going to lose $250 - $300 off a 15” MBA that Apple is eliminating next month since they will introduce the M3 version. So Apple doesn’t want to show it ever discounts, and I know some people who only buy at Apple Stores, so Apple uses third party retailers to dump the inventory that will be outdated soon. I also believe this is how can get $2k off an M1 Max MBP at Adorama or B&H!

It’s obvious Apple bought more than they needed of all of these from their suppliers, or to use the components and get proper economies of scale they just kept building beyond demand. One thing I know for sure is AAPL is still making plenty and the third parties are making money on them too!

Yes, I assume Apple would be providing some sort of incentives to the authorized resellers e.g., discounts on buying additional inventory from Apple and/or incentives on the retailers' existing inventories. All designed to move "old" or excess inventory.