Apple launches its first online retail store in India. Indian customers can avail services like discounts, direct customer support, and trade-ins for their existing and brand-new Apple products.
On Sept. 23 (Wednesday), Apple has officially launched its online retail store through its official website after a long wait. Before this, Indian customers only purchase Apple products through online sellers like Amazon or Flipkart, or through authorized physical retailer stores.
The said move by Apple is one of the brand’s perfect choice, considering the probable future of the company in the country. Ever since the coronavirus inflicted a worldwide lockdown, companies have struggled to keep up with the new method of selling, and the newly known solution by Apple could be the one for them.
Deirdre O’Brien, Senior Vice President of Retail and People of Apple, said, “One thing we’ve learned is when we enter the market with Apple Retail, all boats rise.” O’Brien’s statement means that Apple will be looking forward to increasing its sales from its massive move forward.
However, Apple is not the first company to do so in the Indian market. OnePlus observes the same setup since the early days of the brand, hailing an almost-similar set of services.
The New Apple Store: Work-about
Apart from just selling its products through its official portal, the brand will also provide specialized support for potential customers, in English and Hindi.
The store sells products like Apple Watches, iPhones, and the Macs, while third-party products and accessories will be added later on, according to a report by Mint.
Furthermore, the renowned brand will be using its online retail store to sell their subscription services in India, which hasn’t launched yet. But reports find that it would still be a difficult task for the brand to sell its subscription services and the ecosystem with the previous model Apple is following.
How does Apple benefit?
As per Quartz India, Apple took the perfect timing in making such a move in India.
The anti-China sentiment in India, increase in domestic production, and the availability of cheaper Apple products all hint towards a possibility of a higher market share for Apple.
There is also the speculation by Anindya Ghose, a Professor for Technology, Operations, and Statistics at New York University’s Stern School of Business says that the post-COVID-19 world would see the booming process of e-commerce and online sales compared to the offline methods.
Moreover, the store’s put-up comes right before the festive season in India.
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