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Best Buy selling iPods in a vending machine

by Mike Schramm Oct 13th 2008 at 7:00PM


I was in Anaheim, CA over the weekend (covering BlizzCon for our sister site WoW Insider) and while Macs were in short supply for most of the time, I did notice something Apple-related in LAX on my way out of the city yesterday. Best Buy recently started up a vending machine program which allows you to buy their electronics from staffless machines in various airports around the country, and lo and behold, right there next to the Nintendo DS games and spare USB hubs and mice, were Apple's very own iPods. Which makes sense -- Apple has long sold their stuff inside Best Buy stores, so why wouldn't Best Buy Express do the same?

It was a little strange, though -- at first, I thought there was an iPhone in there, which just would have made the whole activation process even more confusing. But no, it's an iPod touch, in both memory sizes. I also wondered just what you'd do with an empty iPod on a trip, business or otherwise, but I guess people who would really buy their iPods from airports probably don't worry too much about when they'll find the time to get music on there. Not that it mattered much yesterday -- as you can see in one of the pictures, the console's IE version was bugging out, so no one was buying anything anyway (and I couldn't check prices). Still, very strange.

Best Buy Express selling iPods at LAX



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Analysis / Opinion Retail Odds and ends Apple iPod touch iPod classic

I was in Anaheim, CA over the weekend (covering BlizzCon for our sister site WoW Insider) and while Macs were in short supply for most of...
 

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Jash Sayani

Wow! Can anyone lend me some change....?? Just a $100 bill for an iPod...
Oops!! Wrong button.! Wanted the blue one.... I'll try once more....

October 14 2008 at 9:23 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Phil

I saw a vending machine selling the iPod Touch and various other Apple products at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas back in April.

October 14 2008 at 9:06 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Kichigai

Dude, these have been in the Minneapolis St. Paul International Airport for two years. I remember being so shocked (and surprised, and bored) that I snapped a bunch of pictures with it on my old Cam Phone and stitched together into a little GIF-tour (I was REALLY bored waiting for my flight).

October 14 2008 at 1:13 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Kyle

haha its not the kind where it slides out and falls to the bottom right? that would suck...

October 13 2008 at 11:27 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Kaz

ive seen those before, i think is was when i was dragged to the mall of georgia, i remember seeing that i was like hmm this makes it so much easier.

October 13 2008 at 11:19 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Steven Sande

Mike - I was in Dallas during the last week and there's one of these Best Buy vending machines in the B terminal. What's cool is the big iPod logo on the top of the machine -- excellent Apple product placement in an area that has thousands of visitors a day.

TUAWSteve

October 13 2008 at 11:13 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Leslie

I think the vending machine caters to the international travelers whose currency exchange allows them such luxuries. If my dollar was worth 2.5 times as much in another country you can bet I'd buy a few iPods from a Best Buy vending machine--especially if I didn't have time to galavanting through an Apple Store.

This is a very savvy business move on Best Buy's part.

October 13 2008 at 11:04 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Mannie

There's been an iPod vending machine in the Macy's here in Atlanta for a really long time. Years, even.

October 13 2008 at 10:51 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
chip

you take the empty ipod out of the vending maching and put it in your bag. when you arrive at your [friend's/family's/loved one's] house you take it out of your bag and hand it to them.

i'm pretty sure these are aimed at people looking for gifts just like 50% of the things sold at airports.

October 13 2008 at 9:47 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Hal

I would imagine foreign travelers are the biggest customers for these machines. With the dollar in the crapper, I know Euros load up on gear when here.

October 13 2008 at 9:45 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
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