The first Online Apple Store went live in India on Wednesday, September 23. This store will offer a full range of products, support and premium experience to consumers across the country. Customers will able be able to trading old phones for a new iPhone at this store, an option that Indian customers did not have so far.
In addition this, people will also be able to custom-configure any Mac with just a few clicks.
Up till now, Apple has only sold its products via third-party official resellers so far, making this its first foray into the Indian retail market. Apple will also offer payment options like UPI and cash-on-delivery (CoD) through its Indian online store which is in line with existing online retail apps in the country. There will also be financing options and trade-in programme programs available.
This online store will also come with a local contact centre allowing customers to get support on Apple products instantly. Indian users will also benefit from a dedicated education store, which among other things will offer student discounts on iPads, Macs, as well as related accessories. The company will also bring AppleCare+ to its Indian customers, thus enhancing its regional services.
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Deirdre O’Brien, Senior Vice President of Retail and People at Apple said - “One thing we’ve learned is when we enter the market with Apple Retail, all boats rise. It creates tremendous interest in our products, which are available on our online store and through our network of trusted resellers, allowing us to connect with our customers where they are. As of today, Apple Store Online is selling a wide range of Apple products."
The company said that the online Apple Store in India will initially consist solely of Apple’s products, while third-party accessories will be included at a later date. This online store will also allow customers to trade-in their iPhones for new ones, while also offering engravings with new purchases of the Apple Pencil, iPad, AirPods, and the AirPods Pro. Supported languages include Bengali, English, Hindi, Kannada, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu.
The arrival of Apple’s online retail store in India could pave the way for brick-and-mortar stores to be established across the country. This comes as the Indian government eased local sourcing norms in 2019, allowing Apple to establish an online store in the country. Though this has been planned for a while, the COVID-19 pandemic is believed to have delayed it.
There were earlier reports that the first brick-and-mortar will open in Mumbai. However, there is no official confirmation to the same.
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