Today, the Jio Global Centre in BKC in Mumbai welcomed the first Apple Store in the country. On April 20, the tech juggernaut will open a second location in Delhi’s Saket neighbourhood. In more ways than one, opening two Apple Stores in the space of two days is unique and highlights how significant India has grown as a market for India.
Prior to now, Apple was unable to create a location in India due to legislation governing single brand retail. Up to this point, it had shops run by Indian business partners like Imagine and Future World. Apple will become a full-stack player in India with the opening of its first two locations, handling everything from manufacturing to retail.
It stated on Monday that its developer network was “supporting over 1 million employment in India.” Indian customers will be able to walk in and purchase iPhones built in India at the new company-owned storefronts, highlighting the company’s 25-year history in India.
At Apple Stores, the experience is prioritised over the actual sale of products. Anyone can wander in and spend as much time as they like with the products, ask questions, and even learn how to use an iPhone on a MacBook, much like a town square.
Each store has a large number of Apple Geeks who assist consumers and provide any technical guidance they may require. They are available to assist with the purchase selection as well. Also, there are no point of sales or billing counters with lines at the stores, which is another feature that sets them apart. Wherever the customers are, the Geniuses just record the sale. Also, there are frequently scheduled Today At Apple meetings with professionals that aim to encourage users of various Apple devices. These stores will sell the complete line of Apple goods and accessories.
In McLean, Virginia’s Tysons Corner, and Glendale, California’s Galleria, the first Apple Stores debuted in 2001. The move received a lot of backlash, and Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple, received criticism for trying to enter the retail industry. “Instead of merely hearing about megahertz and megabytes, people can now learn and experience the things they can actually do with a computer, such as make movies, burn personalised music CDs, and post their digital images on a personal website,” he argued.
Twenty years later, Apple has more than 500 physical stores worldwide, exhibiting the distinctive value of the brand to both current and potential customers. Some of these places, like the one within Grand Central Station in New York or the one at the Carrousel du Louvre in Paris, have grown to be recognisable landmarks in their respective cities over time.
