Citing NPD data and internal Apple sources, Ars Technica declared iTunes the #1 music retailer in January, besting Wal-Mart for the first time, along with Best Buy, Amazon and others. Debunkers have claimed that this is only because of gift-card redemption but Ars' Eric Bangeman updated his piece, calling BS on the BS callers:
I explicitly noted that the results may be somewhat inflated by gift cards, and I noted that other retailers on the list have gift cards, too—don't forget that fact. And a sale is a sale...This is a monumental event for Apple, because while the company may not be guaranteed the top spot for eternity—or even the following month—it is something many thought would never happened.
