Regardless of whether you buy from an iStore, Incredible Connection or even a reseller such as Digicape you’re still stuck with paying Core for your Apple hardware. As the single licensed importer you’re left with no choice but to pander to their demands.
However you CAN make a difference to their bottom line:
If you can afford to buy Apple products at the prices Core charges then rather buy from a non Core store such as Digicape or Incredible Connection. Now Incredible Connection is normally one of the horsemen of the tech financial apocalypse in South Africa and charge the same price but at the end of the day the margin they make is not going into Core’s pockets. I recommend stores such as Digicape because they seem customer focussed and if they make more money they will hopefully pass on savings to the humble South African Apple lover. The moral of the story is to avoid Core as much as possible. What you must never do is go buy from a Core owned iStore. I’d also recommend avoiding the Cool Apple Buddy store in Sandton as it is not owned by Core, and brings in their own hardware at higher prices than even Core.
Yes, the decor might be sleek white surfaces with wooden floors but in my opinion you’re paying for (a very poor) retail experience. Even if the margin Core looses is ten percent it will still go a long way to hindering their ability to pay the rent of their slick stores in expensive shopping centers.
So let me summarise, you want to avoid all Apple shops that fall under the iStore brand and you want to avoid buying online from their online portal: zastore.co.za
While I don’t expect this to ruin Core (since they still make a fortune from their re-sellers) it would go a way to make them think twice.
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