Bad news for Indian iPhone lovers! Plans to open Apple Store in the country have been delayed
The demand for various Apple products is increasing day by day in India. That’s why last year the company’s CEO, Tim Cook, confirmed that next year in India, in 2021, they are going to open the first retail store in Mumbai. The news sparked a lot of excitement for iPhone lovers as well as Apple’s business prospects in India. But the Kovid-19 epidemic, which has almost devastated the world, has had a major impact on the plan, with the agency confirming on Friday that it is still too late to open India’s first retail store. This delay could affect the company’s offline growth plans in the country, as the company had plans to open multiple retail stores in other cities as well as open the Mumbai store.
Apple Store to open in Mumbai
Incidentally, last year the news of Apple opening its first retail store at Maker Maxity Mall in Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) in Mumbai received a huge response across the country. It is learned that the company has leased more than 20,000 sq ft space at BKC to open its first retail store in India. The Mumbai store has three floors, which is equivalent to the company’s flagship store in Hong Kong. The new store in Mumbai is said to be the largest in the country compared to other Apple franchise stores.
Like other physical retail stores, the Mumbai retail store will have a dedicated experience center on one floor. This center will be built for those who are planning to buy an Apple product. The other two floors are reportedly reserved for retail and service centers. However, Apple did not provide any information about the details, space or exact location of the floor of this physical store.
Apple initially confirmed plans to open its own retail store in India in October 2019. Speaking to investors in February 2020, Tim Cook highlighted the importance of having a company-owned outlet in a significant potential market. In response to a question about the company’s retail strategy in India, Cook confirmed the plan to open the first physical retail store in 2021. “I don’t want anyone else to make the brand clever for us,” he added.
Apple’s global popularity is not unknown to any of us, as well as the company is doing business in India. In January this year, the Counterpoint market research firm reported that Apple shipped more than 3.2 million iPhones to India last year. Earlier this year, a report quoting CyberMedia Research said that Apple had sold more than one million iPhones in India in the first quarter of 2021. Last month, CEO Cook said the company had recorded double-digit revenue growth in several other regions, including India, Latin America and Vietnam. He added that the demand for entry-level phones like the iPhone 12 as well as the iPhone SE 2020 will increase exponentially in the future.
