Apple Airport Extreme Base Station 15% off

koru

John Lewis are selling the Apple Airport Base Station for £119. (If you don't know what this is, you almost certainly don't need one). RRP is £139, and Apple normally control their retailers very tightly, so I was astonished to see a 15% saving.

Oxford St branch is sold out, but Peter Jones in Sloane Sq still had them today. Plus, the Apple Store does a price match, so you ought to be able to buy online at that price.

Mecoconuts

I've never liked apple products but here's what it is for those who are wondering anyway : http://www.apple.com/airportextreme/

Martini

RRP is £139, and Apple normally control their retailers very tightly, so I was astonished to see a 15% saving.

Apple price fixing?
Surely not!
I thought this was illegal?
Someone will have something to say about that!

koru

Martini wrote:

Apple price fixing?
Surely not!
I thought this was illegal?
Someone will have something to say about that!

I wouldn't like to make accusations like that, but certainly you see much less variability in the price of Apple products among retailers than you see for most other products.

Perhaps it is partly attributable to there usually being shortages of most Apple kit, so why would anyone bother discounting it? (John Lewis told me they haven't had Airport Extreme cards in stock since November. And they don't expect the iPod Shuffles for some while.)

malcyplop

Martini wrote:

RRP is £139, and Apple normally control their retailers very tightly, so I was astonished to see a 15% saving.

Apple price fixing?
Surely not!
I thought this was illegal?
Someone will have something to say about that!

There are several brands that "Control" the price at the retailers. When did you last see Oakley sunglasses in a sale, reduced or at an "Outlet Village".

Going_Digital

The reasons why you don't see discounts on Apple kit is that there are none to be had. Apple dealers have a very small margin. I have a trade account with the Distributor Computer 2000 and the difference between the trade price and the resale price on an Airport Express is £6 !. Now if a reseller is going to make any money at all how are they going to discount ?

Added to that is that the on-line Apple store will beat any resellers price. A reseller can not compete with the manufacturer on price they have to compete in other ways. John lewis for example have the 2 year warranty.

Now add to this the fact that unless you are one of the small number of major resellers you simply can not get any stock I am surprised that any of the specialist mac outlets are still in business. I tried ordering 16 Airport Expresses and it took 3 months to get them !

omega27

malcyplop wrote:

When did you last see Oakley sunglasses in a sale, reduced or at an "Outlet Village".

Last time I was at McArthur Glen York! Nice Orakley store there.