T.J. Maxx recently plunged into the technology world with a large splash. A few days ago, the discount clothing retailer began selling a limited supply of Apple 16GB Wi-Fi iPads at a price of $399. Yes, you read correctly, $399, close to $100 less than the Apple suggested retail price for the glorious tablet computers. This was quite a smart move for the company to make just before Black Friday, the start of the holiday shopping season.
Engadget broke the news and online chatter regarding T.J. Maxx quickly escalated to frenetic proportions. When T.J. Maxx used its Twitter account to confirm the news, things got even crazier. Comments and forum posts revealed that most of the tablets were available in East Coast stores. Shoppers catching wind of the news quickly called T.J. Maxx to learn how they could get one of the devices.
Unfortunately, the company has already sold out of the popular Apple tablets. This is not surprising, considering that one analyst reported there might have only been 80 available. T.J. Maxx is not an authorized Apple reseller so this means that it purchased bulk quantities of iPads and took a loss when they were re-sold.
This move seems unwise, given floundering retail sales figures due to the poor economy. One reason T.J. Maxx may have done this is to get its name in the spotlight prior to the holiday shopping rush. If that was its intention, it surely succeeded because the online world was full of talk about it, as was the media.
Whether this move will positively affect T.J. Maxx’s holiday sales volume remains to be seen. If it does, perhaps other retailers should take note and consider similar actions. After all, it never hurts to attract customers by offering a rock-bottom price on a handheld multifunctional electronic device featuring a brilliant 9.7-inch multitouch screen.
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