Apple Aiming to Boost Holiday Mac Sales With Promotions for Businesses

[MacRumors]

Apple is offering small and midsize businesses up to 10 percent off 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pro models in an effort to boost Mac sales in the holiday quarter, reports Bloomberg. That is a larger discount than businesses are typically offered, with Apple describing the deal as a "very special Mac campaign."

During October's earnings call, Apple CFO Luca Maestri said that Apple expects Mac revenue to "decline substantially" year over year in the period between October and December.

Mac sales will drop because in 2021, Apple had a lineup of new Macs that included the 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pro models. In 2022, there are no Mac updates planned for the final months of the year, and nothing available to spur holiday sales.

Apple in June refreshed the MacBook Air and the 13-inch MacBook Pro, but the 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pro models will not see an update until 2023. Apple also has not refreshed the iMac, the Mac mini, or the Mac Pro this year.

The MacBook Air launch in June pushed significant Mac sales in the fourth fiscal quarter of 2022 with Macs responsible for $11.5 billion in revenue, but there will apparently not be enough momentum to match 2021 MacBook Pro sales.

Article Link: Apple Aiming to Boost Holiday Mac Sales With Promotions for Businesses

 

[1557750]

How bout actual deals for your loyal customers…?

 

[tomtad]

Implement some vaguely intuitive window snapping in macOS and watch sales go through the roof

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

How about cutting the prices of the existing MacBooks in the lineup for regular consumers?

 

[JPack]

Only 10 percent? Isn't that what Best Buy or B&H typically offers customers with their regular sales?

 

[alexandr]

You know what would boost sales? Updated MBP's!

 

[nt5672]

A business would be a fool to get tied in with Apple MacOS products. Apple could care less about businesses. Kids playing with toys, absolutely.

 

[Apple_Gabe]

I think businesses already pay less for Apple products since they're buying in bulk, so a 10% discount on top of that is pretty significant. Pretty nice of Apple to do this.

 

[JPack]

I think businesses already pay less for Apple products since they're buying in bulk, so a 10% discount on top of that is pretty significant. Pretty nice of Apple to do this.

It's not on top. Business discount is 6%.

 

[Apple_Gabe]

It's not on top. Business discount is 6%.

Still not that bad, Apple definitely didn't have to give out an increased discount.

 

[sw1tcher]

Only 10 percent? Isn't that what Best Buy or B&H typically offers customers with their regular sales?

More. A lot more.

The base 14" MBP (16GB / 512 GB storage) is regularly priced at $1999, but has routinely gone on sale at Costco (like right now), Best Buy, and Amazon for $1599. That's 20% off. Apple only offering 10% discount means paying $1799 for it.

The 10 core CPU / 16 core GPU 14" MBP (16GB / 1 TB storage) is regularly priced at $2,499, but has routinely gone on sale for $1,999 (on sale for $1,999 right now at Costco). That's also a 20% discount. Getting 10% off makes it $2,249.

 

[CalMin]

You know, despite the fact that the current line-up presents enormous bang for buck, you would think that without having to pay Intel for chips, Apple has an opportunity to drive pricing even lower and crush the competition.

$2000 starting list price for the MacBook is at a very price sensitive part of the demand curve. Someone paying that for their first 'Pro' Apple notebook might think twice when a perceived comparable 'Pro' Windows laptop is available for $300-500 less. The 14" MacBook Pro runs circles around anything Intel powered in the $1-2k price bracket. Apple could exploit that for marketshare and then dominate the space.

 

[DeepIn2U]

Apple is offering small and midsize businesses up to 10 percent off 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pro models in an effort to boost Mac sales in the holiday quarter, reports Bloomberg. That is a larger discount than businesses are typically offered, with Apple describing the deal as a "very special Mac campaign."

During October's earnings call, Apple CFO Luca Maestri said that Apple expects Mac revenue to "decline substantially" year over year in the period between October and December.

Mac sales will drop because in 2021, Apple had a lineup of new Macs that included the 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pro models. In 2022, there are no Mac updates planned for the final months of the year, and nothing available to spur holiday sales.

Apple in June refreshed the MacBook Air and the 13-inch MacBook Pro, but the 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pro models will not see an update until 2023. Apple also has not refreshed the iMac, the Mac mini, or the Mac Pro this year.

The MacBook Air launch in June pushed significant Mac sales in the fourth fiscal quarter of 2022 with Macs responsible for $11.5 billion in revenue, but there will apparently not be enough momentum to match 2021 MacBook Pro sales.

Article Link: Apple Aiming to Boost Holiday Mac Sales With Promotions for Businesses

Are we sure this is to 'BOOST' sales vs bring up current sales?

'Boost' seems to be a word used to stir emotion, rather than more factual. Nowhere in that article is the word 'Boost' used.

Apple Offers Rare MacBook Deal to Businesses to Spur Holiday Quarter Sales

Apple Inc. is trying to spur Mac sales with a rare promotional deal for small businesses that buy computers in bulk, an effort to cope with a slowdown during the holiday quarter.

www.bloomberg.com

How bout actual deals for your loyal customers…?

Here Here!!

How about cutting the prices of the existing MacBooks in the lineup for regular consumers?

I third the motion.

VERY terrible of Apple to not even think of loyal consumer base here, who's supported them. Apple, remember to ALWAYS honour your consumer first, then your corporate users. Consumers are the SOLE reason you exist in the corporate market in the first place!

The Lisa / Lisa II, Newton (all iterations), and many other grey-box Apple comps - all tried and miserably failed at entering and getting recognition and a foothold in the corporate market. What succeeded was:
Macintosh (desktop publishing era)
iPod
iPhone
PowerBook G3/G4's
iMac,
iPad
and just about every other computing device there after. ALL consumers!

 

[sw1tcher]

How about cutting the prices of the existing MacBooks in the lineup for regular consumers?

I'd like to see Apple cut the cost to upgrade memory and storage. $200 to go from 8GB memory to 16GB, $400 to go from 16GB memory to 32GB, $200 to go from 512GB storage to 1TB, etc. is a rip off.

 

[JPack]

You know, despite the fact that the current line-up presents enormous bang for buck, you would think that without having to pay Intel for chips, Apple has an opportunity to drive pricing even lower and crush the competition.

$2000 starting list price for the MacBook is at a very price sensitive part of the demand curve. Someone paying that for their first 'Pro' Apple notebook might think twice when a perceived comparable 'Pro' Windows laptop is available for $300-500 less. The 14" MacBook Pro runs circles around anything Intel powered in the $1-2k price bracket. Apple could exploit that for marketshare and then dominate the space.

It's about selling smart, not selling hard. Apple dominates in performance, so there's no reason to compete in price. You only pull the price lever when you don't have performance or desirability.

Far less effort to collect $200 for 16GB and another $200 for 512GB SSD. To make the same $400 profit, Dell or Acer needs to sell 2-3 more notebook computers.

 

[Mr. Dee]

My M1 MBP is just two years old, I can't justify upgrading this soon. Holding out until 2025. I hope they push the 16 to 17 or 18 inch by then.

 

[Asarien]

How bout actual deals for your loyal customers…?

I'm with you, but as someone who works in IT; an individual may purchase only one computer every few years, while a company purchases hundreds or thousands per year.

 

[mikeray]

I am part of the business program. This is a good and bad deal. Good because the 14” and 16” laptops were not previously part of the business discount. Bad because there is a minimum number you have to buy. Below are the details:

MacBook Promotion
Save 8% on 5 or more on our 14” and 16” MacBook Pro’s and 10% on 25 or more!!

iPhone Promotion
Save 20% on iPhone and Hero Product leases over 10k

 

[Wonder Warthog]

You know what would boost sales? Updated MBP's!

Exactly, I'm holding off for M2 Max MacBook Pros.

 

[CarAnalogy]

Implement some vaguely intuitive window snapping in macOS and watch sales go through the roof

‎Magnet

‎Every time you multitask with many apps open, you need all the windows arranged accordingly. Magnet makes this process swift and easy. In one drag to the edge of your display, you size any app into half of the screen. And by dragging its windows to corners, you snap them into quarters. Sliding...

apps.apple.com

 

[Mr. Dee]

Exactly, I'm holding off for M2 Max MacBook Pros.

Maybe they have designed themselves into a corner and can’t come up with anything really new.

 

[tfresquezdxs]

See I don't applaud this because apple has always offered discounts on all of their products depending on your tier but then the M1 changed everything and there was no discounts at first and then the 14 and 16 MBP introduced the M1 pro/max and those still arn't fully part of that list and has a min amount to get discount.


source: work for a company with an apple business discount

 

[svish]

Apple should give discounts to normal customers.

 

[Bawstun]

More. A lot more.

The base 14" MBP (16GB / 512 GB storage) is regularly priced at $1999, but has routinely gone on sale at Costco (like right now), Best Buy, and Amazon for $1599. That's 20% off. Apple only offering 10% discount means paying $1799 for it.

The 10 core CPU / 16 core GPU 14" MBP (16GB / 1 TB storage) is regularly priced at $2,499, but has routinely gone on sale for $1,999 (on sale for $1,999 right now at Costco). That's also a 20% discount. Getting 10% off makes it $2,249.

Imagine paying $2,249 for a computer. That’s used car territory prices.

 

[richinaus]

I am part of the business program. This is a good and bad deal. Good because the 14” and 16” laptops were not previously part of the business discount. Bad because there is a minimum number you have to buy. Below are the details:

MacBook Promotion
Save 8% on 5 or more on our 14” and 16” MacBook Pro’s and 10% on 25 or more!!

iPhone Promotion
Save 20% on iPhone and Hero Product leases over 10k

yep, we haven't had a single discount from Apple since Covid hit. Previously used to get discounts on everything through the business.
It's actually got to the point where the difference in price to PC's is making it tempting to change the studio to windows. Not tempting enough though, after another horrific experience with HP