Apple Retail Stores to Offer Price Matching?

The news making the rounds yesterday and today is that Apple retail stores will offer price matching this holiday season. What isn’t clear is whether this is a new policy or just public acknowledgement of a discretionary power that Apple Store managers have always had.

From what I know of Apple’s retail operations, individual store managers have always been able to price match any authorized Apple retailer. This would include national sources such as Best Buy and Amazon, as well as local authorized resellers.

So what’s new in this rumor/announcement? Not much it seems, except well-planned timing. Publicizing the policy near the start of the holiday shopping season will encourage shoppers to ask for price matching. I imagine most shoppers will be able to get the same deal from an Apple retailer as they can get from large authorized resellers.

But before you ask for a price match, be prepared. Make sure the price you’re asking a store to match is from an authorized reseller, and have a printed copy of the advertised price in hand. Also, be sure to compare apples with apples (you should pardon the pun). It’s not uncommon to see nice discounts from large retailers on older Mac products that are being cleared out. Right now, this is especially true of MacBooks, MacBook Pros, and MacBook Air products, all of which have been updated recently.

If you shop at an Apple retail store this holiday season, let us know if you were able to take advantage of price matching.