Some retailers in Japan stopping online sale of Apple products

We really have no idea what's behind this, but I agree with the person who said that it's not price. For the most part, major retailers like the ones mentioned do not discount, aside from whatever "point" program they may have in place.

I'm having trouble understanding the rationale behind this move unless Apple is looking to greatly expand its Apple Store presence in Japan, since having Macs available in stores like this is what makes them accessible to people. Many Japanese people still aren't comfortable shopping online, so being able to go to a store is important.

Well, it's 1981 AGAIN!! Yes, you heard me right!

I bought my first Apple II in 1978. I started as an Apple Tech(part time) while I was an engineer(full time) in 1981. During that time Apple put the KABOSH on companies who were selling Apple products by mail order(no Internet yet), saying that the main reason was that mail order companies could not provide the SUPPORT, that Apple felt was necessary, that a retail dealer could.

Here's a protip for anyone in Japan: buy your Macs through kakaku.com, the sellers there are always way the hell cheap, like $300 less for an iMac. For laptops you can't buy the Japanese stock models because the JIS II keyboard is a horror (apostrophe over the 7 and all) so you should BTO laptops, but for things like iMacs or Mac Pros or Mac Minis, it's a nice way to save money.

Here in the UK Apple product pricing is pretty uniform, though you can occasionally get good deals.

But do manufacturing companies like Apple have any legal power to stop retailers selling their products at too low/high prices, and if so is it worth them exercising such powers?

If a retailer chooses to sell product X at a tiny profit margin or even at a loss, can/should a manfufacturer stop them?

An example would be the release of Modern Warfare 2; the big supermarket chains in the UK were selling it at substantially discounted prices compared to the RRP and what specialised reatilers such as Game/HMV could offer. Using their size to buy in huge quanities will have secured them a good discount, then selling at a tiny margin or (most likely) a loss in the hopes of recouping the cost through other products such as groceries.

Firstly, should the manufacturers be able to stop retailers selling at such low prices? Secondly, should the manufacturers take action, after all they shifting huge numbers of their product?

It also brings up the question of whether such tactics should be allowed. Super-retailers have both the power to buy in huge quantities, and the ability to leverage the cost of selling a product at a loss. Options not available to smaller retailers, putting them at a disadvantage.

Yodobashi and Bic Camera are two of the biggest retailers here, and both have the same prices on everything. The only discount you'll get is if you get their point card.

In the end, it's not who has the best prices, it's who's more convenient to get to. :/

I believe they already do this in the US with stores like Micro Center. They have good prices on MacBook/Pros but it is always "in-store" pricing.

the end of cheap Apple products.

Oops, didn't meant to use the oxymoron.

This is true especially in Japan.They competitiveness are fierce in Japanese retailers it goes to any brand.

sounds like price fixing