Australian retailers say they aren’t concerned about the iPad 2 launch scheduled for next Friday, March 25, despite fears that more delays for US customers could push back a local release date in a repeat of last year’s incident.
Analysts predict Apple sold over one million iPad 2 models in its first weekend, with reports that both Apple retail stores and resellers were cleared out within hours.
Pressures such as these caused delays of several weeks last year, and there is still no information available about pre-orders or Australian pricing.
But local retailers aren’t concerned. A spokesperson for Next Byte, a popular Apple reseller, said the iPad 2 launch is on schedule and the company is still working towards that date.
“Apple tend to announce a release date, and if anything happens we hear from then on. But in terms of being nervous about the release… this is simply like any other product launch.”
A spokesperson for Woolworths, which operates the Dick Smith brand, also said the company hasn’t been informed of any change in the release schedule.
JB Hi-Fi chief executive Terry Smart also told the Australian Financial Review this morning that while US demand may put pressure on the local launch, he is still yet to hear any new information from Apple regarding any timetable changes.
Apple has also said the March 25 release date is still locked in. However, last year excessive demand caused the company to announce a later release date than originally planned, merely days before the gadget was set to hit shelves.
And retailers in the US are still under pressure a week after the initial launch.
While customers who ordered online were initially told their iPads would take between three to five days to ship, that time was soon extended to three weeks. Now, Apple has informed US customers that orders will take between four to five weeks to ship.
Apple has also announced a delay for the Japanese release of the iPad 2, although this is due to the impact of the earthquake disaster in that area and is not related to demand pressures.
And while estimates from analysts are ranging anywhere from 500,000 to over one million, it is clear that demand for Apple’s latest gadget is higher than ever.
Ticonderoga Securities analyst Brian White told Reuters yesterday said that “our field checks over the weekend indicate that the iPad 2 sold out at every Apple and non-Apple store we contacted”.
“In fact, all the stores had worked through iPad 2 inventory by Saturday afternoon, and there were no new iPad 2 deliveries on Sunday.”
Wedbush Securities analyst Scott Sutherland also added that “we would not be surprised to see Apple sell closer to one million iPad 2’s in the opening weekend”.
“iPads are sold out across virtually all channels,” Piper Jaffray’s Gene Munster said earlier this week. “We were unable to find any availability.”
The sell-out even occurred although the device was available at a greater number of retailers this year. Apple itself has said that demand is “amazing” and that it is working hard to produce more gadgets.
However, it also appears as though the company doesn’t want anybody tracking sales. A new report from Apple Insider claims Apple has actually changed its inventory management policies in order to hold on to new shipments for longer.
The report claims that, according to close sources, stock sold on Tuesday actually reached stores on Monday. Apple wants to hold the inventory in order to “calmly and accurately” process new shipments.
It is understood this is an attempt to right past wrongs, after the reservation system broke down last year due to higher than expected demand. Staff were trying to get stock on shelves as quickly as possible, but the report claims this created “utter havoc”.
The report also claims Apple has amended its online ordering procedure in order to prevent others from making estimates on how many units have been sold.
Patrick Stafford is a freelance journalist and a former deputy editor of SmartCompany.
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