[NPMUG] Thoughts on New Apple Store

[Robert Peirce]

On Jan 21, 2010, at 8:14 AM, Patrick Cranston wrote:

> Since I posted last night about the new Apple Store opening in Ross  
> Park Mall later this year, I have received several emails from  
> people suggesting that this new store will kill or significantly  
> hurt MacOutfitters in Cranberry.  The argument is that simply  
> because this Apple Store will be about a half hour from  
> MacOutfitters it will drain business from MacOutfitters.   I don't  
> believe this to be necessarily true.
>
> Apple currently has two Apple Stores in Pittsburgh ( Shadyside and  
> South Hills Village ). Since the Apple Stores have opened about 8  
> yrs ago, MacOutfitters has only grown.  This is primarily because  
> during the last 8 yrs the number of people buying Macs has  
> significantly increased.  In 2002, Apple sold about 3 million  
> Macs.  Last year Apple sold 10 million Macs.  With that amount of  
> huge growth it's only natural and good to see a growth in the  
> number of places selling Macs.

I live in Peters Twp, half-way between Pittsburgh and Washington.  I  
bought my MBP at Mac Outfitters and that is where I take it for any  
major work.  I just had the logic board replaced.  They seem to be  
quicker and cheaper on things like that.

Last Sunday, one of my fans started to fail.  I could have waited  
until Tuesday and taken it to the new MO store downtown, but I took  
it to the Apple store in SH Village.  They had a fan in stock and got  
it back to me on Monday morning.

For me, flexibility is more important than proximity.