Apple To Launch Its First Online Store In India In Q3, 2020
Aadhya Khatri
A person familiar with the matter said that Apple was still dealing with logistics to meet the needs of the first online store
- Apple Kills Original HomePod, Focusing On HomePod Mini
- Delhi Is The World’s Most Polluted Capital City For Three Years In A Row
- iPhone 12 Color Is Fading Away Quickly And No One Knows Why
Apple’s effort to have its first online store in India has paid off as starting Q3 this year, customers can have access to its official retail channel.
Back in August 2019, Apple said that it was eager to provide Indian users with the same level of care and experience it was offering users in other parts of the world.
The company has never shared a specific timeline for the launch of its offline and online stores in India, but a credited source said that the initial plan was to open an online store in Q1 2020.
The person familiar with the matter said that the company was still dealing with logistics to meet the needs of the store. And the new deadline was set somewhere between July and September. Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, would likely come to India for the official announcement.
Indian users will have the chance to experience the online store first as the brick-and-mortar one might take a few more months for the preparation, making it unable to go into operation this year.
For now, Apple makes its presence in India through third-party partners like Amazon, Flipkart, and Paytm Mall. Before the change in the policy of New Delhi, the iPhone maker had asked the government multiple times to lax the rules on FDI (foreign direct investment).
Apple’s partnership with Paytm Mall, Amazon India, and Flipkart does not go smoothly though. The company has expressed its disappointment for the heavy discount these platforms offer to boost respective GMV metrics.
In 2019, the shipment of iPhone experienced a growth of 6%, in comparison with a drop of 43% back in 2018, paving the way for another growth in 2020, as stated by Counterpoint, a research firm.
On Tuesday, Apple announced $91.8 billion on the tail end quarter of 2019 with India as the market bringing a double-digit growth.