During the new year in Japan, retailers often offer a Fukubukuro, or “mystery bag,“ which is a grab bag filled with a random assortment of products sold at a steep discount.
Apple has participated in this tradition for quite some time, and will once again be offering its "Lucky Bag" in several different Apple Retail Stores across Japan on January 2.
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Lucky Bags, which Apple will sell this year for 36,000 yen, or $345, usually contain items like iPods, headphones, and t-shirts. A few fortunate folks, however, have received big-ticket items in past years, like iPads or MacBook Airs, which have made Lucky Bags ultra popular in Japan.
Apple's grab bags are sold as is, and returns are not accepted unless a product is defective. Still, the bags have been quick sellers on previous occasions, with many people lining up the night before to get their hands on a bag.
As with past years, Apple's Lucky Bag promotion is limited to Japanese customers, though other countries, like China, may see the same traditional Apple Store sales during the new year.
Top Rated Comments
These 'lucky bags' are used by a great many retailers in Japan, and not just apple. They are very popular, and general speaking the items inside are worth more than what you pay for the bag. Sometimes a lot lot more.
Its a bit of fun, and many people especially teenagers like to spend their new year money (a custom to give money to younger relatives) on a bag full of goodies.
What is dumb about it? No dumber than buying lotto tickets or scratch cards.
we really need to have this in N. America
It will never happen in America because the lawsuits and greedy lawyers will ruin it. The minute someone gets a grab bag and feels disappointed with its contents, the lawyers will come to their rescue.
You must be someone that doesn't understand that other cultures have different customs... It's ok... we'll take it as you being not very cultured yourself. :rolleyes:
I was in the queue for 25 hours in whole.
All the bags were specially designed incase messenger bags, black with red polka dots. They all had mophie juicepack power stations, beats solo HD's, a t-shirt, either an MacBook air 11", iPad with retina display or an iPod nano with some accessories for the main prize you got. In my case a Magic Mouse, special edition cover for the MacBook Air and a sleeve for transportation.
In all about 300 bags were available at Shinsaibashi, but 700+ people turned up. Most of which were told to go home around 9pm. The MBA was the lowest end stock configuration.
I felt it was a bit cheap of them to include a nano of all the iPods.. At least a touch would have been nice for the lowest of the prizes...
They brought us Starbucks coffee around 7am and stores opened around 8. They had all the bags lined up on the Genius Bar counter at the back, and you got to grab one like a lucky dip. All the accessories were in there, and a card folded up, you opened it to reveal the prize. But you could kind of guess what you got because of the accessories you had in the bag already.
Out in the winter cold, on a fold out chair over night... It was tough. I think I was around number 30
Good luck to people going for the overnighter this year, especially the people in Sapporo..