Apple Asks Japanese Resellers to Halt Web Sales
Apparently unhappy about their products being sold online at discount prices, Apple has asked Japanese resellers to stop their web sales.AppleInsider is reporting that online discount electronics stores in Japan have been requested by Apple to stop selling iPods, Macs and other products there, according to a new report from Nikkei. Apple appears to be unhappy with such outlets selling their products online at discounted prices.One such store named Yodobashi Camera Co. posted a note to their website which states that they have stopped selling Apple products at the request of the company. Yodobashi also has 20 traditional brick & mortar locations throughout Japan, where they continue to offer Apple products to customers.The report also cited Japanese retailers Yamada Denki Co., Bic Camera Inc. and Kojima Co., whose websites claimed that Apple products were either sold out, not for sale or only available in-store. Only two big retailers continue to offer Apple products online -- Amazon.com’s Japanese division and Joshin Denki Co.Meanwhile, a new report out of China claims that the country’s iPhone carrier, China Unicom, may soon slash the price of the device by 1,000 yuan (nearly $150), according to China Business News.Apple’s popular handset debuted in China last year at a relatively steep price of 6,999 yuan and was off to a fairly slow start. Eventually, sales picked up and the carrier reported that more than 100,000 handsets were sold by December, 2009.China Unicom has high hopes that the iPhone will boost its new 3G network, which made its debut at the same time as the device last year. The carrier is also said to be considering reduced rates for subscribers who use 3G devices on the network to help speed up growth of the fledgling network.
http://www.maclife.com/article/news/apple_asks_japanese_resellers_halt_web_sales
