Apple has announced it will close all authorized campus stores at Canadian post-secondary schools in June, citing its declining sales at these locations.
Apple has over 20 authorized stores at Ontario campuses, including Carleton University.
Jill Eriksen, bookstore supervisor at the Interurban campus of Camosun College in Victoria, said Apple’s decision to cut its Canadian campus outlets was not a shock.
“It’s been about probably six years that we’ve had the Apple products in and we’ve had some sales for sure,” Eriksen said. “But I think in the last three years or so, the sales weren’t really holding.”
Eriksen said the decline in sales is likely due to student budgets that make it difficult to afford purchasing a Mac computer.
Another reason may be due to the college’s own operating software, she said.
“The college primarily works on PC and there’s programs of course like Office that Mac can get compatible, but others you can’t,” she said.
The bookstore never carried a large number of Apple products as compared to other colleges or universities, Eriksen said. The bookstore mainly carried MacBooks and MacBook Pros, along with the more recent iPad Minis, she said.
Eriksen said discounts are currently being made on product display models at the bookstore.
Diane Jolicoeur, store manager at the University of Ottawa (U of O) bookstore, said Apple products were a popular sales item at the bookstore, and the store is disappointed by the cuts.
She said the decision to stop the sale of Apple products was a corporate choice, and the bookstore was not given any reason for the decision.
Since the announcement, Apple products have gone on sale at the U of O campus, according to Jolicoeur. She said several items have already gone out of stock since the discounts were announced.
“We did have some iPad 3rd generations that were $499 instead of $819 and we had a Mac that was for $229 instead of $459, but it depends on the product and the age of the product,” she said.
Jolicoeur said Apple products will likely be sold until the end of April.
