Formal press release regarding streamlined retail sales:
CUPERTINO, Calif., Feb 2 (Reuters) - Apple Computer Inc said it will phase out sales of its current hardware products at several
major national computer retailers, saying it is focusing its national retail efforts with CompUSA (CPU - news).
Apple said that its currently available hardware products will be phased out of Best Buy Co Inc (BBY - news), Circuit City Stores
Inc (CC - news), Computer City, Office Max and Sears Roebuck & Co (S - news). Some stores will continue to sell Macintosh
software, on a case-by-case basis, Apple said.
''This does not represent a retreat from retail,'' said Apple senior vice president Mitch Mandich, in a statement.
Mandich said that the move is instead a ''redefinition of what the retail buying experience will be for our customers.''
Apple and CompUSA launched a major retailing venture last November, with special Apple retail ''stores within a store,'' at many
CompUSA locations.
''It's part of the new plan to be more focused,'' said an Apple spokeswoman. ''It's a lot of focusing on the customer, so they can
go into a CompUSA store and have a much better sales experience. They can find someone to help them (who knows Apple
products.)'' CompUSA said it now has Apple stores within all of its 148 computer superstore locations.
A Best Buy spokeswoman said that Best Buy will continue to carry Macintosh software, but that it was a mutual decision between
the Eden Prarie, Minn.-based retailer and Apple.
''Our primary focus is on home users and their focus is on education and publishing,'' a Best Buy spokeswoman said. She said that
Best Buy has been selling Apple hardware products for about five years, but that its Apple sales were a very small part of Best
Buy's total computer hardware revenues.
''Forty percent of our sales are home office products and of that, less than half a percent was Apple,'' Best Buy said.
Apple said its venture with CompUSA has been successful.
Apple said that sales of Macintosh hardware has jumped to 13 percent of total hardware sales at CompUSA, from three percent
previously, since the Apple stores were launched.
''We are thrilled by the reception of the new Apple store concept in our computer superstores,'' said CompUSA president and chief
executive Jim Halpin in a statement. ''We look forward to making CompUSA the Apple headquarters for America.''
Apple said it will continue to offer products at 3,500 other locations in the U.S., through regional retail chains, specialized Apple
dealers, computer dealers, value-added resellers and catalogs.
The status of Apple software at retailers other than CompUSA may depend on the level of sales at those various retailers. |
