One thing that Apple fans in India have been asking from a long time is the reason why there is no first-party Apple retail store in the country. While Apple sells most of its products in India via third-party retailers, it does not have its own presence in the country.
It is worth noting, however, that Apple has been planning to open its retail store in the country for a long time. Also, the fact that Apple now has a factory in India producing iPhones for the local market and even internationally means that the retail store should also open soon.
And now, Apple CEO Tim Cook has confirmed that his company will soon open their first retail store in India by the next year. Tim said at the annual shareholder meeting held by Apple that “I’m a huge believer in the opportunity in India,” and added that “It’s a country with a vibrancy and demographics that are just unparalleled.”
Tim Cook revealed this on being asked a question from one of Apple’s shareholders who asked him about his plans for India. Cook added that “We needed to get approval from the government to go in there ourselves”. He also said that “I don’t want somebody else to run the brand for us”
While Cook did not mention anything about Apple’s online presence in the country, TechCrunch reported last month that the company is all set to sell its products online starting with the latest iPhones arriving later this year. This means that the need for Apple to sell through third-party e-commerce retailers such as PayTM Mall, Amazon and Flipkart in India will be eliminated.
Now, the move from Apple to open an online store in India and then open a retail store in the country is also thanks to the ease of norms by the Indian Government for single-brand retailers such as Apple. With these new norms, single-brand retailers will be able to open online stores in the country before eventually opening brick-and-mortar stores.
Looking at the sales of Apple products in India, we know that the company has not aced the markets in the country just yet. However, we can also say that there are positive signs for them by taking a look at the sales numbers of iPhone Xr and iPhone 11 which have been priced relatively lower by the company.
Reports also indicate that Apple CEO will be visiting India in June or July of this year which is to take stock of Apple India’s business and also for the rollout of its online and retail stores in the country.
