CIRP: four in 10 Macs are purchased directly from Apple

New data from Consumer Intelligence Research Partners — as noted by 9to5Mac — shows that four in 10 Macs are purchased directly from Apple at either the company’s online store or one of its many brick-and-mortar retail outlets.

“The entire retail experience and operation was originally designed to educate customers about Mac computers at a time when they needed to compete with Wintel PCs,” says CIRP. “That experience and operation has of course evolved, and yet Apple stores and Apple.com has persisted as the leading seller of Mac computers.

However, it’s a different matter when it comes to iPhones and iPads. CIRP found that about three-quarters of iPhones are bought through carriers, with Apple Stores accounting for just over 10% of sales. When it comes to tablets, Apple is only the second-largest retailer of iPads, totaling some 20% of sales. Best Buy holds the retail lead, selling about 25% of all iPads sold.

CIRP surveyed 2,000 U.S. consumers who bought a major Apple product in the past year to collect the info. However, the research group notes that There is some seasonal variation, as Apple Stores and Apple.com are most important in product launch quarters, where supply may be constrained at other outlets, and during back-to- school, when Apple promotes computer purchasing.