Appbackr Hopes To Sell Apps At Wholesale Prices

On occasion, sites like MacUpdate sell Mac software in bulk and at wholesale prices. Users pay one price and get up to 10 applications together. Now, the folks at Appbackr hope to do the same for iPhone/iPod touch and iPad apps. According to the Palo Alto, California-based company:

Developers sell units of an app to buyers on our marketplace, giving developers immediate funds prior to final iTunes Store sale and even generating additional revenue. With a vested interest in the success of the app, wholesale buyers play a key role in aiding distribution of the product and promoting retail sales. We make this easier still with the innovative use of social media tools and more.

For consumers, Appbackr will offer select apps at a deep discount. For potential app developers, it could provide important financial incentives. Plus, Appbackr will allow developers to retain control of their own intellectual property. MobileBeat contends that:

Apple developers agree to sell a certain number of units to wholesale buyers at a discount. Those buyers buy the units in bulk and pay their money upfront to developers. When someone actually buys the app on iTunes, the Appbackr buyer profits, pocketing the difference between the retail price and the wholesale price. The wholesale buyer becomes an advocate of the app — Appbackr refers to these people as “backrs” — and promotes it heavily. The developer thus gets a built-in fan with a vested interest in promotion. The return of the wholesale buyer is 27 percent to 54 percent once an app sells at the retail level.

It will be interesting to see if Appbackr’s concept takes off. If it does, it could benefit consumers and developers like.