Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
No one's buying MacBooks. Why?
- Thread starter AdonisSMU
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Nobody has bought them. Apple will be out of business by next week.
No one is saying that. It feels like people who go to the Apple stores usually want to purchase MacBooks. Now no one is going there.
Well, most customers don't live under a rock, a lot of them have techy/geeky family members who might tell them to wait based on reading sites like Macrumors. They themselves might be using the wait for WWDC to see if anything new is released. People want the best value for their money. If it even means a negligible drop in price, or even cheaper refurbished models.
Also, some users might be purchasing through different retail channels: Best Buy, Mac Mall, Amazon, Ebay, Craigslist, Aunt, Counsin, Uncle, Brother, Sister, Pawn Shop. Remember, there are nearly 500 Apple Stores too; customers might not be buying at your local store, but they could be in New York, France, Japan, London or Italy.
I totally hate Apple stores nowadays.
I do anything I can to avoid going into them.
The badgering is incessant and it feels like you're getting accosted when 3-5 colored shirts are hovering around like used car salesmen waiting to pounce on fresh meat.
I do anything I can to avoid going into them.
The badgering is incessant and it feels like you're getting accosted when 3-5 colored shirts are hovering around like used car salesmen waiting to pounce on fresh meat.
Really? I have to go into one every so often to get work stuff, and I will literally hold my credit card up like I am asking a question in class, and still no one wants to help me. They are all off talking to humans milling around in the store who won't buy anything anyway.
I have also encountered numerous Apple stores that are basically empty. Last week on Saturday at Berkeley Apple Store, I was the only one at the Mac station for at least 30 mins. Funny though, the iphones and ipad were also empty out of people.
But if you are looking at the service part with genius bar, its always crowded.
But if you are looking at the service part with genius bar, its always crowded.
I drove to work today and didn't see a car for half an hour. Why aren't people buying cars anymore?
Apple Store's used to be great places to visit for your "tech fix" these days they are near sterile. For me a place to be best avoided. Seriously just a lot of empty space, devoid of interesting product. Today your in, your out and only thing of any importance is your credit card and that's an experience I can happily live without...
I am lucky as we live in a place that has a high density of similar tech outlets, many are fun places to visit with the family, staff are engaging, and in general the shops are interesting. Apple is like the dentist, you only go when you need to
Q-6
@Queen6 Interesting point about other tech outlets.
In Boise we have a great Apple Auth named MacLife that is what I wish Apple stores were. They offer, in person, a super compelling mix of really interesting accessories and add-ons for a huge variety of Apple products, old and new.
They also are staffed and frequented by a great mix of nice people in a relaxed environment.
Every time I need a product locally, I ensure to check with them and buy it there if they have it.
In Boise we have a great Apple Auth named MacLife that is what I wish Apple stores were. They offer, in person, a super compelling mix of really interesting accessories and add-ons for a huge variety of Apple products, old and new.
They also are staffed and frequented by a great mix of nice people in a relaxed environment.
Every time I need a product locally, I ensure to check with them and buy it there if they have it.
Angela is directly related to your anecdotal theory on why No one was purchasing MacBooks in your Apple Store?
My experience was completely different in my City, where I observed several customers purchasing MacBooks weeks back, myself included. I don't think it's fair to assume one person is the direct cause of one out of the hundreds of Apple Stores during the time frame you were their and MacBooks were not selling. Seems far fetched to me.
Last edited:
Obviously every store is different…
I find you can get a good read on a place if you've been going there over the years consistently.
The one area that is basically never busy any time I go to my local Apple Store or any other Apple store in different cities seems to be the watch area.
Before people that love the watch jump down my throat, I am not saying that that implies nobody buys watches… I honestly have no idea why that area is always so empty, I just always notice it.
I find you can get a good read on a place if you've been going there over the years consistently.
The one area that is basically never busy any time I go to my local Apple Store or any other Apple store in different cities seems to be the watch area.
Before people that love the watch jump down my throat, I am not saying that that implies nobody buys watches… I honestly have no idea why that area is always so empty, I just always notice it.
I visited the Apple store in Kansas City last month. It was packed. Lines for both purchase and support.
I have never seen an empty Apple Store.
I have never seen an empty Apple Store.
I was pretty sure this is a sarcastic thread...but now I'm not sure anymore
There are three Apple stores here in Seattle and they are constantly packed.
Oftentimes there are people waiting for them to open.
Oftentimes there are people waiting for them to open.
I never buy anything from the Apple store up the street from my house here in Dallas. They're always packed with people anyway, day or night, doesn't matter. I always buy online: MacBooks from the Apple refurb store, and accessories from Best Buy or Amazon or whoever has the best deal. Unless I want to check out the latest computer, see what it looks like in person, I have zero desire to go into an Apple store.
Apple stores around me are always packed during high consumer hours and surprisingly busy during low consumer hours. And that is compared to ANY store, compared to another consumer electronic store its night and day.
Honestly I find the crowds in Apple stores to be obnoxious honestly. Luckily their customer service is really good and there are 2 dozen people working that will accept payment and get your product to and from wherever you are standing in the store. Its a level of customer service I only wish other stores would follow but I guess being corralled into lines and waiting areas then dancing around cash registers is still acceptable.
EDIT: I'm not saying there are never lines at Apple stores lol but that is only for product releases which should be expected.
Honestly I find the crowds in Apple stores to be obnoxious honestly. Luckily their customer service is really good and there are 2 dozen people working that will accept payment and get your product to and from wherever you are standing in the store. Its a level of customer service I only wish other stores would follow but I guess being corralled into lines and waiting areas then dancing around cash registers is still acceptable.
EDIT: I'm not saying there are never lines at Apple stores lol but that is only for product releases which should be expected.
Totally spoilt here in Shenzhen we have; Lenovo, Huawei, Asus, Asus ROG, Alienware, Microsoft, Samsung, MSI, Dell, Apple, DJI, MSI, JBL, Macintosh, Yamaha, B&O, B&W, BOSE in short if it's produced there's a dedicated direct outlet here, from lowest spec to over $300K of HiFi, been here over 15 years and still learning & finding new places...
Recently went to the Asus ROG store, we were clear that only browsing, 3 hours later with these guys was a blast, my boy loved it, might just drop the $3K on a gaming machine. Apple here is best described as sterile & boring in comparison, most exciting thing is the occasional line for the iPhone..
Get down to the electronics district and it gets serious, if you cant buy it, it was never produced, been exploring for over decade. Scale is almost beyond belief, get inside one of the big towers, content will just blow you away. You just need to know what you want and where to shop...
Q-6
Actually...there's some truth to this. At this point in the cycles, Apple Store traffic is down in many stores. This is not unusual as Apple is at the tail end of a bunch of products and many sites and forums say DON'T BUY.
And that's a fact.
R.
im quite sure that the most people who buy macs, dont know anything about the tech inside computers and dont follow tech sites or either care about if the cpu is x or y series. people buy them online, check them and return if they dont like it and others get discounts from other shops..
i dont remember when i bought something from a store.. only checking devices if available, but bought them online.
i dont remember when i bought something from a store.. only checking devices if available, but bought them online.