“With Apple’s plan to open company-owned stores on the back-burner pending government approval, the iPhone maker is going with the next best option: bigger franchisee outlets at key locations in metropolitan cities,” Rasul Bailay and Writankar Mukherjee report for The Economic Times. “”
“These 5-6 franchisee-run outlets will each be at least three times larger than the current, 1,000-squarefoot stores and may even go up to 5,000 square foot, three senior industry executives said,” Bailay and Mukherjee report. “The ‘Flagship Apple Premium Reseller’ outlets will become a ‘stepdown’ version of the iconic company-owned Apple Retail Stores and will come up in ‘extremely prominent locations’ as anchor shops in malls and high-street shopping areas, the executives said.”
“The company currently has about 150 franchisee run Apple Premium Reseller stores in India, which are up to 1,500 square feet in area,” Bailay and Mukherjee report. “One such franchise holder said the flagship stores will come up in New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Chennai, which are Apple’s biggest markets in India, and later in Hyderabad and Pune.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: On paper, better store experiences that offer more consistent service should help sales in India. Apple has a long row to hoe. That said:
Do not count Apple out of any market at any time. — MacDailyNews, July 25, 2018
SEE ALSO:
Why Apple’s iPhone can’t compete in India – July 25, 2018
Apple sales execs depart as company flounders in India – July 16, 2018
Made-in-India iPhone 6s production underway as Apple looks to avoid Indian import tax – June 26, 2018
Apple ups iPhone prices in India as government hikes taxes on imported phones – December 18, 2017
India raises import tax on electronic products, including cellphones; move to hurt Apple – December 15, 2017
Apple slashes prices of iPhone 7, iPhone 7 plus, iPhone 6s in India – September 14, 2017
Apple seeks tax breaks for suppliers to make iPhones in India – August 1, 2017
Indian Prime Minister Modi meets with Apple CEO Cook ahead of President Trump today – June 26, 2017
Apple broadens their iPhone attack in India, the world’s second biggest mobile market – June 22, 2017
Apple is making old iPhones new again to win India – June 12, 201
Apple again asks Indian government to allow sale of certified refurbished iPhones in India – February 6, 2017
Indian IT minister says Apple plans to make iPhones in Bengaluru – February 3, 2017
Apple nears deal to manufacture products in India – January 25, 2017
Apple is ready to make iPhones in India, for a price – January 20, 2017
India to consider Apple request for tax breaks and policy exemptions with ‘open mind’ – January 18, 2017
Apple is horse-trading mightily with India – January 4, 2017
Apple is wasting its time, effort, money in this god forsaken country, where the people are well suited to be Android users
https://www.chinasmack.com/filthy-india-photos-chinese-netizen-reactions
You are consistent with the “India Sucks” mindset and Apple should abort it’s efforts there.
So, I will conclude; Apple management is foolish, dumb and is w/o your wisdom?
Apple doesn’t sell $150 smartphones, so it’s probably a waste of time. They’re not worried about taking risks in India which you can tell by the way consumers are always train-surfing everywhere they go, so Android OS will be considered as perfectly safe to use. I honestly can’t imagine what Apple expects in terms of sales in India. Android smartphones already have 98% market share in India and that can only go higher. I think the consumer has already decided what they’re going to buy in the future.
Not too many years ago the same type of negativity was aimed towards China. But, years later, the Chinese market has become quite important to Apple in terms of iOS product sales.
You have to consider the fact that India currently has a population on the order of 1.35B. The U.S. is around 326M. That is a factor of 4.1. Therefore, even if the total wealth and distribution of wealth in India greatly constrains the fraction of the population capable of affording an iPhone, that factor of four still makes India a viable and potentially lucrative market.
Furthermore, even if Apple only breaks even in the area (or possibly even loses money in the short run), that may be a worthwhile investment from the big picture sense to fight back against Android.
Comparing India to China and America is wrong and patently misleading. China has manufacturing capacity that India dont have and will never have. China assembles and produces the Apple Gear that India will never be able to replicate. Nor does India have America’s design and development ability. Apple to too good for the Indian Market which is well suited for the cheap Android. Also With 1+ billion population, India should develop its own mobile Operating system and own hand sets (hardware) where are these tech savvy Indians from the population of 1 billion +. How come they are not pushing their weight and have their own independent mobile system? These bunch of underachievers is sitting on their back sides and doing nothing. As for the brainless Pro Indians, take a look at this
or is that meant to portray the citizenry of India as “not-so-bright?”
Or, maybe you are just bringing to light that it’s one the country’s sporting favorites, like Cricket, that has yet to be embraced as an official Olympic sport?