Apple Bans Online Sales In Japan

siddesu writes "Large retail stores in Japan were ordered a week ago to stop selling Apple products online (Google translation; Japanese original). The comments in the Japanese business newspapers suggest that Apple believes online shopping confers an aura of 'cheapness' on its products; but surely killing the Apple store's competition must have entered into the calculation. As of today, most of the largest retailers have notices on their Apple catalog pages asking you to visit the shop if you want to acquire a piece of magic. It seems that for the moment the campaign is aimed at the big fish, as smaller shops still seem to be selling Apple products."

Comments

Re:The "experience"

[paimin]

Thank goodness for Apple -- if it wasn't for them where would you direct your daily hate and smugness?

Re:Translation

[tehcyder]

In fact, in a perfectly functioning free market it would be mostly impossible to make money beyond that to pay ordinary wages and initial investments, as any business area where more money could be made would be quickly swamped with competitors.

A perfect free market is a fantasy dreamed up by economically-illiterate clowns in order to justify their opposition to society's sensible attempts to restrain naked capitalism.

Re:Here's you're explanation

[BasilBrush]

Troll.

Re:What next?

[bc0001]

I think a lot of people don't get this... Apple doesn't sell things. They sell an experience... not a product. HP sells a product. Once they sell it, they don't care what type of user experience you have - it doesn't matter if you can't understand tech support. Or Best Buy techs get to take it apart... Apple sells an experience. They want your user interface to be simple, easy to use; your tech support experience to be excellent - all the way through the interaction with Apple, they want the experience to be excellent. I wholeheartedly support their desire to control apps on iPhone or iPad - because they are controlling the entire experience. Not the product. It's a great business model. In spite of the recession, Apple stock has done great, and their market segment has grown. Perhaps other companies need to "get real" and control more of their entire distribution and experience - instead of dropping a crap bomb on the consumer, and saying "out of our control... "

Re:What next?

[david_thornley]

Ah, so you're one of those who thinks freedom is doing things your way. I have the freedom to buy an iPhone or a Droid, depending on what I want out of a phone. I may accept some restrictions on what I can do with it in order to get a smoother experience, or I may prefer to get a less locked-down device for whatever reasons I think important. I may make the tradeoffs differently depending on what I'm buying. For example, I'm happy with my iPhone, but think an iPad an entirely insufficient replacement for my Ubuntu laptop. You may want to make different choices, and that's fine. Similarly, I'm happy with my decision to accept certain restrictions on my sexual activity in order to be a full-time partner with a certain woman. Same principal.

The Ben Franklin quote applies to governments, not vendors. I can't live here and choose a less restrictive government. I can't choose to fly an airline that's less paranoid about security measures. That's where the danger is.