December 26, 2024

Apple may open more physical stores in India as existing stores are a hit

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As Apple’s maiden physical stores — Apple BKC in Mumbai and Apple Saket in Delhi — set off to a successful debut, the iPhone maker is now reportedly planning to open more stores in India. In an aggressive push to bolster its offline footprint, Apple reportedly plans to expand its retail chain with as many as 24 new stores through 2027. It is also mulling revamping and remodelling existing ones in specific locations.

Bloomberg has reported that Apple is planning a total of 53 new, relocated, or revamped stores over the course of the next four years. The plan, however, would kick off with the opening of new stores across the Asia-Pacific region, Europe, Middle-east, the US, and Canada. Of all the regions, Apple is doubling down on the markets in the Asia-Pacific region. Those include India, where at least three new physical stores are either under discussion or in development.

Apple has marked three locations to open its upcoming stores in India: Borivali and Worli in Mumbai, and DLF Promenade in New Delhi through 2027. As the Apple BKC and Apple Saket stores are up and running, Apple is planning a third store in Borivali. But the fourth Apple Store in Delhi’s posh DLF Promenade shopping mall will be the company’s second-largest after Apple BKC. This store is likely to open in 2026 and a year later, the fifth Apple Store would come up in Mumbai’s Worli area. There is, however, no information on whether or not Apple is planning stores in other Indian cities.

A bigger push

Three new physical stores in India would likely represent Apple’s bullish strategy to expand its retail presence in India, which has emerged as a critical growth engine. Earlier this April, Apple chief executive Tim Cook visited India to inaugurate the company’s first two physical stores. “From education and developers to manufacturing and the environment, we’re committed to growing and investing across the country,” Cook tweeted after meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

For years, Apple has struggled to widen iPhone sales in India, one of the world’s most dynamic markets where Android-powered smartphones take the lion’s share. But over the last few years, Apple’s renewed strategy to include affordable iPhone models (iPhone SE), paired with heavy discounts from third-party shopping platforms, gave momentum to iPhone sales. During the second-quarter earnings call earlier this year, Cook said the company saw an “all-time iPhone revenue record” in India and other emerging markets.

Record sales of the iPhone — even though the figures are still underwhelming compared to those of Android phones — gave Apple confidence to increase investment in India. The change in the iPhone business in India also came at a time when the US was at a deadlock with China. Due to increasing pressure, Apple decided to move most of its production lines out of China. India and Vietnam emerged as top alternatives. Under Modi’s Make in India initiative, Apple found a favourable environment to increase iPhone production in India. Apple’s supply chain in India now manufactures the latest, as well as upcoming, iPhone models.

The post Apple may open more physical stores in India as existing stores are a hit appeared first on Techlusive.

 

 

As Apple’s maiden physical stores — Apple BKC in Mumbai and Apple Saket in Delhi — set off to a successful debut, the iPhone maker is now reportedly planning to open more stores in India. In an aggressive push to bolster its offline footprint, Apple reportedly plans to expand its retail chain with as many as 24 new stores through 2027. It is also mulling revamping and remodelling existing ones in specific locations.

Bloomberg has reported that Apple is planning a total of 53 new, relocated, or revamped stores over the course of the next four years. The plan, however, would kick off with the opening of new stores across the Asia-Pacific region, Europe, Middle-east, the US, and Canada. Of all the regions, Apple is doubling down on the markets in the Asia-Pacific region. Those include India, where at least three new physical stores are either under discussion or in development.

Apple has marked three locations to open its upcoming stores in India: Borivali and Worli in Mumbai, and DLF Promenade in New Delhi through 2027. As the Apple BKC and Apple Saket stores are up and running, Apple is planning a third store in Borivali. But the fourth Apple Store in Delhi’s posh DLF Promenade shopping mall will be the company’s second-largest after Apple BKC. This store is likely to open in 2026 and a year later, the fifth Apple Store would come up in Mumbai’s Worli area. There is, however, no information on whether or not Apple is planning stores in other Indian cities.

A bigger push

Three new physical stores in India would likely represent Apple’s bullish strategy to expand its retail presence in India, which has emerged as a critical growth engine. Earlier this April, Apple chief executive Tim Cook visited India to inaugurate the company’s first two physical stores. “From education and developers to manufacturing and the environment, we’re committed to growing and investing across the country,” Cook tweeted after meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

For years, Apple has struggled to widen iPhone sales in India, one of the world’s most dynamic markets where Android-powered smartphones take the lion’s share. But over the last few years, Apple’s renewed strategy to include affordable iPhone models (iPhone SE), paired with heavy discounts from third-party shopping platforms, gave momentum to iPhone sales. During the second-quarter earnings call earlier this year, Cook said the company saw an “all-time iPhone revenue record” in India and other emerging markets.

Record sales of the iPhone — even though the figures are still underwhelming compared to those of Android phones — gave Apple confidence to increase investment in India. The change in the iPhone business in India also came at a time when the US was at a deadlock with China. Due to increasing pressure, Apple decided to move most of its production lines out of China. India and Vietnam emerged as top alternatives. Under Modi’s Make in India initiative, Apple found a favourable environment to increase iPhone production in India. Apple’s supply chain in India now manufactures the latest, as well as upcoming, iPhone models.

The post Apple may open more physical stores in India as existing stores are a hit appeared first on Techlusive.