According to a report in AllThingsD from Consumer Intelligence Research Partners, Apple stores sell 25% of all iPhones in the United States and 11% of all retail phones overall. While the carriers still sell the majority of all cellphones, Best Buy also accounts for 13% of cellphone sales, and big-box retailers Walmart, Costco, and Target account for 12% of cellphone sales. Of course, Apple stores only sell iPhones, whereas Best Buy and other retailers sell phones from all carriers and platforms, including the iPhone.
Apple CEO Tim Cook has made it a priority to increase the percentage of iPhones sold in Apple stores. In July, he spoke with retail employees about “developing new incentives for both customers buying iPhones and the Apple Stores selling the phones.” At 25%, Apple stores are the most common place iPhones are sold, ahead of AT&T at 21%, Verizon at 18%, and Best Buy at 13%.
