Apple expected to expand store-within-store presence at Walmart, Target

Apple expected to expand store-within-store presence at Walmart, Target

Apple's reach will grow to new, untapped markets within the U.S. over the next two years with store-within-a-store retail outlets set to expand at Target and Walmart.

Click to expand...

Read more

I like that idea, however, if it turns out anything like what they currently have at Best Buy......

Your local Apple Store is still the best place to go to buy Apple products. Of course not every town or even city has an Apple Store so I can understand what Apple is doing.

Going to Walmart to buy your Apple Computer. That will be quite the experience. It would be like going to a Kia dealer to buy a Aston Martin.

Yeah...buying a Mac or Apple product at Walmart is certainly not going to be the same as the Apple Store.

If the prices were significantly lower at Walmart that would be one thing...but they won't be.

- Nick

Our local Wal-Mart stores here in the Fort Worth area already have a fairly large Apple section, however, no Macs. Just iPods, iPads, and their accessories.
Target stores around here also have an Apple section selling the same products as Wal-Mart.

Best Buy is the exception but with them shutting down many of the lesser busy stores, I wonder if Apple will continue to use them as an authorized retailer?

I'm not a fan of Walmart and their race to win the lowest quality merchandise award, but I would almost rather go back to DOS than deal with Best Buy. For one thing, their blue shirts are much younger than me and I can almost never run one down to either buy something or ask a question. Their customer avoidance training is second to none.

All that being said, the ability to purchase Apple products at another store would probably be a good thing. The price will be the same. The local employees won't know a Mac from a VCR player, but who cares? When I go Apple shopping I know exactly what I want.

So, why not just visit an Apple store? Because the closest one is at least fifty dollars worth of gas away even by 4-cylinder. Even more if the traffic in the big city is at normal. Internet order works fine, and is what I usually do, but heck, everybody likes to go look at the merchandise occasionally.

cptkrf said:

I'm not a fan of Walmart and their race to win the lowest quality merchandise award, but I would almost rather go back to DOS than deal with Best Buy. For one thing, their blue shirts are much younger than me and I can almost never run one down to either buy something or ask a question. Their customer avoidance training is second to none.

Click to expand...

Lucky you. I can't even browse the video game section at my local Best Buy without getting hounded by 2-3 different people.

Stretch said:

Lucky you. I can't even browse the video game section at my local Best Buy without getting hounded by 2-3 different people.

Click to expand...

Just bought an ipad 3 at Best Buy today and the staff was quite helpful. Same with my two MBP's, and I had problems with and returned two. Best Buy handled that no questions asked and the 45 days silver rewards returns was a life saver.

They don't even flinch when you tell them no to the service plan.

A really Apple store is 2.5 hours away.

Of course YMMV