Wal-Mart to Offer Apple’s Pre-Orders for First Time
By Matt Townsend - Sep 13, 2012 1:11 PM CT
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT), the world’s largest retailer, will take pre-orders for the new Apple Inc. (AAPL)
iPhone for the first time and offer discounts on the device.
The iPhone 5, announced yesterday, can be ordered tomorrow at 8 a.m. at U.S. stores, Sarah Spencer, a
spokeswoman for the Bentonville, Arkansas-based retailer, said in an interview. The newest version of the
best-selling smartphone will sell for $189.97 with a two-year contract, Spencer said. That’s cheaper than
the $199 price announced by Apple yesterday.
Wal-Mart also reduced the prices on older iPhones, Spencer said. The iPhone 4S was cut to $89.97 from
$148 with a two-year contact. The older iPhone 4 will sell for 97 cents with a two- year contract, reduced
from its previous $48.88 price tag.
Pre-orders will be available for pick-up on Sept. 21, the same day the iPhone 5 hits Wal-Mart and Apple
stores.
Wal-Mart rose 1.2 percent to $74.98 at 2:10 p.m. in New York. The shares had gained 24 percent this year
through yesterday.
Target Corp. (TGT), the second-largest U.S. discount chain, couldn’t confirm if it would sell the iPhone 5,
Katie Boylan, a spokeswoman, said in an e-mail.
To contact the reporter on this story: Matt Townsend in New York at mtownsend9@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Robin Ajello at rajello@bloomberg.net
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