Price Matching at Apple Retail Stores?

ifoAppleStore claims that Apple retail employees have the authority to match prices of other authorized retailers.

Apple has apparently fired the first shot in the holiday shopping battle, by announcing internally that retail store employees have the authority to match the prices of other authorized retailers.

Based on the site's comments, there is some debate about whether this is a new ability. Regardless, the issue is typically moot as retailers generally only offer Apple's products at the recommended retail price. The notable exception to this, however, has been sales surrounding Black Friday in which retailers offer instant discounts on Apple products.

BestBuy is already offering discounts up to $150 off on current Macs. If this policy is true, then similar discounts may be achievable at Apple's own retail stores. Apple's own Black Friday sales will be revealed on Friday, and other retailers such as Amazon and MacMall have offered both instant and mail-in rebates in the past.

iPhone app developers appear to be getting in on Black Friday discounts with numerous app sales tracked on AppShopper.com. Notable titles on sale include Spore Origins and Tetris, both 40% off.