Apple opened the glossy doors to its third retail outlet in China on Saturday, a store that is also deemed as the largest in Asia. As always (in the case of Apple), there were throngs of people lined up outside, wanting to be the “firsts” to set foot in the new three story store. The size of the store isn’t the only attractive thing about this new Apple outlet, but also the fact that it houses one of the only three glass staircases in the world. For some reason, that’s a major point of attraction.
Regardless, the Apple store opened to the massive fanfare that is normally associated with the launch of a new product. People lined up as early as 8:30pm on Friday night just to be the first ones to set foot in the new store. There was a host of Apple Geniuses who lined up outside to pep-up the crowd with activities that included some popping-and-locking, a rendition of PSY’s Gangnam Style, and a whole lot of cheering. The doors opened and the first few visitors were even awarded special edition T-Shirts.
As Apple marks its third flagship store in the Republic of China, India is yet to see the exclusive store open its doors here. While China is a huge market, given that it is also the place where Apple’s products are made. India, on the other hand not only has a large population, but also a rapidly growing mobile subscriber base, which is at 900 million and still growing strong. Apple currently holds only a 1.2 percent market share while its staunchest competitor, Samsung, is riding on a 51 percent market share. The difference is marked due to factors such as Samsung’s low price and a vast chain of retail outlets scattered throughout the county. Currently, iPhones can only be bought from cellular service providers and a few other non-exclusive retail outlets.
Apple was reported as having planned opening an Apple Store in India, but the plans hit a snag courtesy India’s FDI rules, which require foreign companies to source at least 30 percent of the parts for its devices from Indian suppliers. Given that Apple has established an efficient supply-chain in China, it seems unlikely that they would break away from that model just to be able to cater to the Indian market. However, given Apple’s legal expertise, we wouldn’t be surprised if they managed to find a loophole. The easier path would be if the FDI regulations were relaxed, which would allow not just Apple, but also e-retailers like Amazon to enter the market.
Images courtesy: TNW
Also read,