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Comspot is growing despite the decline of Gravis: New store opened in Oldenburg!
Altona is emerging as an important location for Apple resellers, while Gravis is closing and Comspot is expanding. What's behind it?
Comspot is growing despite the decline of Gravis: New store opened in Oldenburg!
There is currently a lot of upheaval in the world of Apple retailers. While some companies have to fight to survive in the market, others focus on expansion and growth. Comspot, as the largest Apple premium reseller in Europe, continues to be successful. The company recently opened a new store in Oldenburg and is now represented in a total of 19 locations, as channelpartner.de reports. Managing director Michael Hencke is optimistic and emphasizes the importance of stationary retail, despite the challenges that many resellers face.
But not all retailers share this fate. Gravis, one of the largest Apple retailers in Germany, has closed all of its branches. This is the result of a continuous decline that has been noticeable since 2022. Gravis founder Archibald Horlitz sees Apple itself as responsible for the failure of his company and speaks of disadvantages in deliveries from the manufacturer. Instead of granting resellers the usual contractual conditions, Apple has increasingly neglected its partners.
The challenges in the reseller market
Horlitz reports a drastic decline in trading margins: before the introduction of the iPhone, they were 14-18%, while they have now been reduced to around 8%. This has significant implications for many resellers. The opening of Apple Stores in 2005 has made the situation even worse, as they are in direct competition with retailers. Gravis was also an important partner of Apple for almost 40 years, but the pressure that its own business and Apple's strategy put on the company was ultimately too much.
In contrast, Comspot, which also offers solutions for private and business customers, is going on the offensive with a new store concept and a fresh brand identity. And this despite the fact that the competition remains intact. Comspot has clearly expanded its business in recent years and seems to have found a way to assert itself in the highly competitive market.
A look at the future
The question remains, however, whether Apple will continue to rely on the support of specialist retailers in the future. The decline at Gravis could be an indicator that the company wants to centralize its sales channels more in the future. However, several industry voices, including Horlitz, warn that the exclusion of resellers could also have a negative impact on customer loyalty and service.
Comspot seems to be counteracting this development and remains optimistic that stationary retail will continue to play an important role. Given the current situation, it will be exciting to see whether they are on the right track with their approach to serving customers personally. The next steps will show whether the company remains on the rise or whether they too cannot withstand the challenges of the market.