With demise of retailers, do they really want to survive ?
Discussion
There are a few threads about retailers and who is going to survive...
As of tonight I don't think some of them know how to. Haven't a clue. They need to take a look at the motor trade and be a bit more flexible.
I did my bit and bought an ipod (spend spend spend I am told) - went to the Apple store in Liverpool and asked them why it was a tenner cheaper four doors down in John Lewis. And that if they could price the same I would buy there and then.
They acted surprised, checked the John Lewis website and said they might be able to price match.
So 5 mins later and a consultation with the boss (is this the first time they have been asked ?!) sales laddie returned and said he had to call John Lewis to see if they had any in stock. He went up 2 floors to the boss again and called - returning 10 mins later to say he had not found out as they weren't able to tell him !
Finally after I asked to speak to the 'boss' he got fed up and did it for the JLP price. Now we are talking about nearly £300 of turnover, on a Weds night at nearly 8pm. Do they want to trade or not? What is their thinking behind this sort of tedium ? A tenner is worth saving yet it appears Apple are clueless or have huge confidence in their products ? Amazon is £20 cheaper - but I didn't want to upset them too much.
Does anyone understand retailing ? Or perhaps a tenner is not that important to most ?
As of tonight I don't think some of them know how to. Haven't a clue. They need to take a look at the motor trade and be a bit more flexible.
I did my bit and bought an ipod (spend spend spend I am told) - went to the Apple store in Liverpool and asked them why it was a tenner cheaper four doors down in John Lewis. And that if they could price the same I would buy there and then.
They acted surprised, checked the John Lewis website and said they might be able to price match.
So 5 mins later and a consultation with the boss (is this the first time they have been asked ?!) sales laddie returned and said he had to call John Lewis to see if they had any in stock. He went up 2 floors to the boss again and called - returning 10 mins later to say he had not found out as they weren't able to tell him !
Finally after I asked to speak to the 'boss' he got fed up and did it for the JLP price. Now we are talking about nearly £300 of turnover, on a Weds night at nearly 8pm. Do they want to trade or not? What is their thinking behind this sort of tedium ? A tenner is worth saving yet it appears Apple are clueless or have huge confidence in their products ? Amazon is £20 cheaper - but I didn't want to upset them too much.
Does anyone understand retailing ? Or perhaps a tenner is not that important to most ?
It'll be about margins, I reckon.
Apple Stores have huge overheads compared with a John Lewis shop - they have the product experts (who really do know what they're talking about and get paid as such), plus the 'genius bar' where they can fix most issues on the spot etc.
All this costs lots, especially when their 'genius bar' is supporting products bought cheaper elsewhere....
It's not often you find a variance in retail prices of Apple products, though.
Apple Stores have huge overheads compared with a John Lewis shop - they have the product experts (who really do know what they're talking about and get paid as such), plus the 'genius bar' where they can fix most issues on the spot etc.
All this costs lots, especially when their 'genius bar' is supporting products bought cheaper elsewhere....
It's not often you find a variance in retail prices of Apple products, though.
Small Car said:
75 -
But given it is their product, would they not control the price to third parties that takes this in to consideration ?
Their cost prices are set so that most retailers will sell for the same price as the Apple Store.But given it is their product, would they not control the price to third parties that takes this in to consideration ?
However, some retailers will sell at nil or negative margin in order to attract customers.
Alfa_75_Steve said:
It'll be about margins, I reckon.
Apple Stores have huge overheads compared with a John Lewis shop - they have the product experts (who really do know what they're talking about and get paid as such), plus the 'genius bar' where they can fix most issues on the spot etc.
All this costs lots, especially when their 'genius bar' is supporting products bought cheaper elsewhere....
It's not often you find a variance in retail prices of Apple products, though.
But they're also a manufacturer who are retailing directly to the end user, as such they get 2 bites of the margin apple so to speak.Apple Stores have huge overheads compared with a John Lewis shop - they have the product experts (who really do know what they're talking about and get paid as such), plus the 'genius bar' where they can fix most issues on the spot etc.
All this costs lots, especially when their 'genius bar' is supporting products bought cheaper elsewhere....
It's not often you find a variance in retail prices of Apple products, though.
mel said:
Alfa_75_Steve said:
It'll be about margins, I reckon.
Apple Stores have huge overheads compared with a John Lewis shop - they have the product experts (who really do know what they're talking about and get paid as such), plus the 'genius bar' where they can fix most issues on the spot etc.
All this costs lots, especially when their 'genius bar' is supporting products bought cheaper elsewhere....
It's not often you find a variance in retail prices of Apple products, though.
But they're also a manufacturer who are retailing directly to the end user, as such they get 2 bites of the margin apple so to speak.Apple Stores have huge overheads compared with a John Lewis shop - they have the product experts (who really do know what they're talking about and get paid as such), plus the 'genius bar' where they can fix most issues on the spot etc.
All this costs lots, especially when their 'genius bar' is supporting products bought cheaper elsewhere....
It's not often you find a variance in retail prices of Apple products, though.
Apple Computer will sell them to Apple Retail UK for the same price as everyone else gets them for.
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