According to the data, carrier stores, both physical and online, account for the majority of iPhone sales in the United States. Apple Stores are the second most common place people buy iPhones, while third-party retailer Best Buy makes up an even smaller percentage of sales. Here’s the full breakdown:
- Mobile carrier stores and online: 67%
- Apple Retail: 24%
- Other: 5%
- Best Buy 4%
That “Other” category includes third-party retailers like Walmart and Target, as well as independent retailers.
CIRP analysts say that more than 75% of iPhone sales in the United States being from “outside the Apple retail universe” should be viewed as a “weak spot for Apple.”
More than 75% of US iPhone sales are outside of the Apple retail universe and that is a weak spot for Apple. When a customer selects their new iPhone – the model, storage capacity, and even color – an event that only occurs every two or three or more years for most consumers, most sales are managed by a carrier salesperson or processed on a carrier website, all out of Apple’s careful control.
Of course, a carrier salesperson or website will direct customers to accessories and extended warranties, though they likely are not giving preference to Apple’s offerings as Apple certainly would.
