Ordered a 2019 13” MBP from Apple UK, and for some reason when I checked the UPS tracking information it had shipped all the way from Shanghai, China. What’s the reasoning behind this?
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MBP shipping from China??
- Thread starter thanasis_a
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You did not mention if this is a built-to-order device? If so, yes, always the case, as Apple does not keep Macs around in all possible configurations. Basically just base configurations.
And along those lines, keeping inventory around costs Apple money. Among the issues, tax liabilities, warehousing costs, cash conversion cycles.
That said, seem to recall a thread where someone mentioned that their base configured Mac was shipping from a US location (poster was in US and not near an Apple Store). So if that was true, also kinda see that as lots of Apple Stores in US and makes some sense to centralize on the west coast some inventory to over-night to the stores across the US. But even then, Apple does try to minimize inventory on hand. As seen in the tracking, takes just a few days for Apple to re-stock their store inventory.
And along those lines, keeping inventory around costs Apple money. Among the issues, tax liabilities, warehousing costs, cash conversion cycles.
That said, seem to recall a thread where someone mentioned that their base configured Mac was shipping from a US location (poster was in US and not near an Apple Store). So if that was true, also kinda see that as lots of Apple Stores in US and makes some sense to centralize on the west coast some inventory to over-night to the stores across the US. But even then, Apple does try to minimize inventory on hand. As seen in the tracking, takes just a few days for Apple to re-stock their store inventory.
For what it's worth, in another two or three weeks you'll see articles here regarding the shipping of the new model iPhones. During new product season it's common to see people report air shipments that originate in China - speed and efficiency of delivery, and all that.
It can be more efficient to label and package the shipments at the point of origin and put them in the hands of a single global shipping company (which consolidates the packages into larger containers destined for shipper-operated distribution centers) than to ship in bulk to manufacturer/distributor-run warehouses prior to being repackaged/labeled for customer delivery.
In your case, the configuration you ordered was likely out of stock at Apple's regional warehouse. Rather than make you wait for a slower, bulk shipment to make its way from the factory, they tried to make you happy by shipping it directly. As they say, "No good deed goes unpunished."
It can be more efficient to label and package the shipments at the point of origin and put them in the hands of a single global shipping company (which consolidates the packages into larger containers destined for shipper-operated distribution centers) than to ship in bulk to manufacturer/distributor-run warehouses prior to being repackaged/labeled for customer delivery.
In your case, the configuration you ordered was likely out of stock at Apple's regional warehouse. Rather than make you wait for a slower, bulk shipment to make its way from the factory, they tried to make you happy by shipping it directly. As they say, "No good deed goes unpunished."
That makes sense, btw how long does it usually take to reach Europe? UPS is giving me Friday as the scheduled delivery day, not really sure though given the fact it just left Korea today.
It comes down to how much Apple is paying for date-of-delivery promises. These days, it's completely possible that two shipments - one a premium-priced next-day shipment, the other a multi-day "standard" shipment - depart the same warehouse on the same day and take the same airline flight(s). The only difference may be that one of the shipments is held overnight at the local delivery facility. While the shipping company has the option to use a slower shipping method for the lower-priced shipment, it's not always more efficient for them to do so.
For shipments from East Asia to Europe or the Americas, any delivery period less than a couple of weeks is going to be traveling by air for most of the distance. The only difference may be in regional delivery - perhaps a flight from Shanghai to Barcelona with rail/truck shipping to London vs. a second flight from Barcelona to London. If there's space on that Barcelona-London flight, they may still transfer the "slow" delivery from one plane to another rather than move it off-airport to a truck/rail facility.
My Mac Mini was shipped from China as well.
Going to Nashville USA took just a few days. It was quick.
