Everybody knows that Apple is selling its products at a frantic pace, and every new release triggers a wave of unbridled enthusiasm. Until now, their products could be bought either online or from the impressive Apple stores, but things are about to change. Walmart will host these Apple stores in a not so distant future, so that their own customers we run into the celebrated devices each time they go shopping.

Target might do the same soon as they have recently made an important decision by not carrying Amazon’s Kindle e-readers any longer. They had good reasons to do so, because with the gadgets selling online at lower rates, the brick and mortar retailer was reduced to nothing more than a showroom. By changing sides and selling Apple products, they might reach their goals faster, but this is still only on the drawing board.

On the other hand, Walmart is ready to test the “stores within a store” concept, and this surprising partnership has the potential of keeping both partners satisfied. Apple will have one more place to sell its products, while Walmart should see a slight increase in the number of customers, if those interested in buying iPads, iPhones or iPods choose to buy them from Apple stores. There is of course the risk of this turning into a lopsided deal, with Walmart finding itself on the wrong end of profit.

It is clear that the number of customers who visit Walmart for the sake of buying Apple gadgets, will be significantly lower than that clients who enter Apple stores, while they go shopping. Another thing that doesn’t look well in theory but might not matter in practice, is the fact that Walmart sells discounted products while Apple vends expensive items. Only time will tell if opposites attract, but the forecast is optimistic and thousands of stores carrying Apple products will appear over the next couple of years. [click to continue…]

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