GameStop subsidiary Simply Mac buys MacAuthority

Simply Mac, the largest Apple specialist in North America, has made a deal to purchase Nashville-based MacAuthority.

Mark Gregory, former CEO of MacAuthority, now serves as vice president of education and services for Simply Mac. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“We have known members of the management team of Simply Mac for seven years. Simply Mac shares the same vision we have for a premier customer experience and the benefits of a well-established brand,” Gregory said. “The geographic footprint of our stores aligns well with the Simply Mac stores. It was a natural fit for the two companies to join together.”

He said that almost all MacAuthority’s employees have been retained.

MacAuthority, an independent Apple Specialist and Apple-authorized service provider, opened in Nashville in 1993.

Benefits of the deal for MacAuthority will include access to capital for retail growth and increased inventory, along with the combined expertise of two management teams.

Gregory said stores in Nashville and Chattanooga will remain largely the same, but some MacAuthority locations will rebrand as Simply Mac.

Gregory said the current plan is to rebrand the stores in Johnson City; Louisville, Ky.; and Winston-Salem, N.C., before the holiday season.

Simply Mac is a subsidiary of video game giant GameStop. The company launched in 2006 and now has stores in 13 states, which will increase to 16 with the MacAuthority purchase. Simply Mac tends to focus on geographic markets not typically served by corporate Apple stores.

Vanderbilt MacAuthority store manager Crystal McCoy said she is excited about the transition to Simply Mac.

“I’ve spoken to a good portion of people in the upper management group, and I think it’s going to be really good for both companies,” she said.