Apple’s stock prices, profit margins, and unit sales have all seen much better days. Determined to make a comeback, Apple has made a possibly lucrative deal with rival online retailer Amazon, but was it the right move?
News has come out that Apple will be officially selling their products on Amazon globally for the very first time. Up until now, Amazon has only sold Apple products through third-party sellers, but now that they are officially partnered with Apple, this will expand the selection of Apple products on their website significantly.
This will also likely do some good for the wallets of consumers, as third-party sellers have a tendency to overcharge for their products. Now that Amazon can get Apple products directly from the source, this should no longer be much of an issue. And thanks to Amazon’s Amazon Prime service, this new partnership also means that Amazon Prime subscribers will be able to get their Apple products as soon as the day after they order them. Just in time for the holiday season.
However, there is some questioning as to whether or not this move is the right one, at least in the short term. Now that the Amazon/Apple partnership is official, third-party resellers will have until January 4th, 2019 to keep their current product postings on Amazon active. After that, all third-party resellers will need to apply to become official Apple product resellers in order to continue selling.
Given Amazon’s dominance in the online retail field, Apple finally partnering up with them seems like a sound business play. Keep in mind however, that Apple products themselves are not so hot to trot right now. Interest in Apple products from iPhones and iPads to Apple Watches and MacBooks, have decreased significantly this past year. Consumers aren’t as excited for Apple products anymore, so limiting where they can buy them might have the opposite effect of what Apple is hoping for.
