New sales strategy could go rotten

Apple seems to have taken a bite out of its own reseller channel, writes Sara Driscoll

Every few months, like a bear coming out of hibernation, I have to get my claws out with one vendor or another. Vendor arrogance is usually the reason and unfortunately this week it seems there is a new manufacturer that has appeared on the list.
With Apple it used to be just the users of the technology who had the arrogance; their slightly upturned noses, as though PCs (and their users) smell quaintly of old moths or are just that fraction behind them in the in-vogue, high-tech stratosphere.
It started with that ridiculous advert that features the uber trendy Peep Show stars, Mitchell and Webb. Mitchell is the short, slightly frumpy, dark, geeky kind of character, and Webb is the tall, blonde, funny, easy-going character. Guess which one owned a Mac in the adverts?
But now Apple's arrogance has hit the channel, as the vendor looks to capitalise on its successes over the past few years (the vendor posted record sales, profits and Mac sales for its most recent quarter). Late last year the vendor laid out plans
to encourage its top-level resellers to become Premium VARs, a feat only achieved by the VAR launching one of the sterile-style Apple shops.
Making sure dimensions were correct; demo kit was in exactly the right spot and ensuring the retail outlet was as shiny and sparkly as the brand perception, were all prerequisites to gaining the status, all of which involves a large investment.
However, Apple, has since announced that it plans to expand the number of direct-selling stores around the country and in some cases in the same towns as the aforementioned Premium VARs. Competing with its own resellers has been a shadow in Appleís channel before, but never has the vendor asked its VARs to make such a large investment before. To now give the impression that it is almost rendering this investment trivial, is an arrogance only usually displayed by its less cool rivals.

Sara Driscoll is editor of CRN. Email her at sara. [email protected]