Apple on Wednesday revealed its first retail store in India as it expands its market in the country as a top performer in the premium devices segment.
Located in Jio World Drive Mall, Mumbai, the Apple BKC retail store aims to compete with Samsung’s retail expansion footprint in India. The company noted this first retail store is inspired by Mumbai’s iconic ‘Kaali Peeli’ taxi.
The BKC store will host Apple products and services including iPhones, MacBooks, iPads, AirPods, Watches, Apple TVs, and HomePods.
Apple’s move to set up its own retail outlets in India comes at a time when it is reportedly laying off employees in its retail stores in the U.S.
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Before this store, the company used to sell its products through re-sellers, online sites, and Apple’s own online store in the country.
As per CyberMedia Research (CMR), Apple captured 4% of the market share with a 17% year-on-year increase in its shipments in 2022. Apple shipped smartphones worth nearly $6 billion in value during the same period.
“In the premium segment of $500+, Apple maintained its lead with a 60% share with iPhone 13 being the 3rd most shipped device in 2022,” noted IDC.
“The Apple-owned flagship store will be a key pillar in Apple India’s playbook to win in a strategic growth market,” said Prabhu Ram, Industry Intelligence Group (IIG), CMR.
“In the recent past, Apple has enjoyed an unprecedented growth momentum in India, including an increased share of domestic manufacturing, aggressive marketing and affordability initiatives,” he added.
The store will go live later this month.
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