Business
Aggressive iPad Discounts Signal Apple’s Move for Market Share
In this Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2013, file photo, an Apple employee demonstrates the new iPad Mini in San Francisco. Apple began selling a new iPad Mini on Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2013, without the usual fanfare. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File)
(Computer World) – Apple’s discounts of the iPad Air and first-generation iPad Mini were “very aggressive,” a retail analyst said today, and were aimed at scooping up as much U.S. tablet market share as possible.
“Apple has been very aggressive this holiday season by driving down prices, whether that was letting retailers change prices or offer gift cards, or through its own gift card discounting,” Stephen Baker of the NPD Group said in an interview Monday.
“They want market share,” Baker added. “It was too widespread not to be authorized by Apple itself.”
Baker was referring to the sales Apple and several of its key retail partners — Best Buy, Target and Walmart — ran last week, starting on Thursday, the Thanksgiving holiday in the U.S., and continuing on Black Friday.
