NEW DELHI : US tech giant Apple’s first online retail channel in India will be available on September 23, the company confirmed. This is the first time that the company has opened its own retail channel in the country. Until now, Apple has sold products in India through e-commerce and offline partners.
“One thing we’ve learned is that when we go into the market with Apple Retail, all ships go up,” said Deirdre O’Brien, Apple’s senior vice president of Retail and People. “It creates a great interest in our products, which are available in our online store and through our network of trusted resellers, allowing us to connect with our customers wherever they are. As of today, Apple Store Online sells a wide range of Apple products, “he added.
Along with Apple’s full range of products, the online store will also include its local contact center, providing support and services to Indian customers, for the first time. The company also announced a dedicated education store for India, which will offer special pricing on Mac computers, iPad tablets, their accessories and Apple’s premium support option, called AppleCare Plus.
At the moment, the store will only have Apple products, but third-party accessories should be added in the future. The company has also integrated UPI and cash on delivery (COD) options, among others.
Apple’s online store in India has been expected since last year when the Indian government relaxed its local sourcing rules for companies like Apple. CEO Tim Cook had confirmed the launch during an earnings call earlier this year, but the pandemic delayed Apple’s plans for a few months. With the launch next week, the company will be ready for the festive sales period in the country.
According to industry estimates, Apple’s market share in the Indian smartphone market remains at around 2%, but the company has been making headway in India for the past few quarters. Data from International Data Corporation (IDC) shows that Apple gained 48.8% market share in the premium segment in India in the quarter ending June 2020, up from 41.2% the previous year.
Experts attribute this growth to strong sales of the 2020 edition of the iPhone SE and the supply chain problems faced by competitors like OnePlus. According to Navkendar Singh, Research Director at IDC, the contribution of e-commerce to the sale of electronic products in India is 42-45% annually at the moment.
Singh said that while Apple still relies heavily on offline sales due to its premium prices, the company also needs to improve online. He noted that most of Apple’s online sales rely primarily on Flipkart and Amazon, which derive “much higher volumes” from lower price segments, led by Chinese companies such as Xiaomi, Vivo and Oppo.
The retail store will help Apple get around certain hurdles, such as ensuring the availability of its full range of products and accessories, that a partner might not be able or unwilling to carry. It also helps the business to better control the consumer experience. “In the absence of physical retail, this can be an important factor. Still, Apple is known for its shopping experience, “said Singh.
To that end, the webstore will allow customers to choose custom configurations for Mac computers, a service that Apple has not been able to fully offer in India until now, as its sales relied on external partners. The company will also start an iPhone exchange program with the store and allow users to record their iPads, Apple Pencil, Airpods, and Airpods Pro in Hindi, Tamil, Bengali, Marathi, Telugu, Kannada, and English.
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