Apple hits Amazon
The new détente between Apple and Amazon is likely to deliver a happy harvest for most of us as Apple will sell its products via the giant online retailer starting this shopping season, including Black Friday.
Next day iPad, next day Mac
Apple has always done a pretty good job getting products to people fast, but Amazon promises Prime members free delivery. It is interesting that Apple will now be a product you can get delivered free if you use Prime, as this also means shoppers will get access to Prime video and music services.
What impact might this have on Apple’s own services income?
I can’t help but think that both firms are working to how to compete different.
Amazon already sells Apple devices using third party merchants but pricing and return policies vary wildly. That meant you sometimes think you are buying a great new Mac, but end up with something rubbish.
This won’t be the case in future. Under terms of the Amazon/Apple deal existing Apple product vendors will be removed from Amazon’s store and will be required to become authorised Apple resellers to flog their stuff online again.
What this means for sales
That means Apple will be scooping up sals on Amazon. Th impact should be quite positive in sales terms, at least. Here’s some data to show why:
- OpenX believes 49 percent of shoppers will want to shop online this season, with just 51 percent planning to hit the shops.
- Not only this, but 37% of consumers plan to purchase tech, this holiday,
- An earlier Gazelle survey, found that 69 percent of those in the U.S. planning to purchase tech plan to get an Apple product.
I’ve not done the sums but that sounds a little as if it means over 20 percent of the U.S. shopping population is thinking about purchasing something from Cupertino.
All they need to do is click an Amazon link.
No wonder Amazon said it “look[s] forward to expanding our assortment of Apple and Beats products globally.”
[amazon_link asins=’1591847060′ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’9to5ma-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’91bf27fb-e833-11e8-a991-6d173cb78b63′]
I guess we’ll all find out how successful this strategy is when Apple ships its next financial results, but until then, we’ll all be clicking on Amazon to see which new Apple products are now listed on the store.
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