Apple has postponed the opening of its first brick-and-mortar store in India to the January to March quarter of next year, marking the second time the company has been forced to delay opening plans due to pandemic-related issues, says a Thursday report by ETTelecom citing senior executives of the company.
Apple is seeking to open a 22,000 square foot at an upscale shopping mall in the teeming financial capital of Mumbai. It was originally slated to open in 2021, the report says, before it was delayed the first time to the fall of this year. Apple’s Mumbai store is set to be a flagship location, developed in similar vein to landmark locations in cities including Singapore, Hong Kong, Los Angeles, and New York.
The opening of Apple’s first India store would be a part of the company’s broader retail push in India, where its market share is relatively small given the country’s vast size and population. India is one of the largest smartphone markets in the world, but Apple has only managed to capture a tiny sliver of the market, which is highly price-sensitive, and dominated by Chinese companies including Xiaomi and Vivo.
CEO Tim Cook announced plans for an Apple store location in India in February 2020, saying he’s a “huge believer” in the opportunities India presents as the world’s second most populous country, with its vibrancy and demographics.
Apple opened an online store for India last September, which brought the company’s full range of products and support directly to consumers across India for the first time. The opening of the online store came as many physical retail stores were forced shut in India due to the pandemic. Cook said that the online store had received tremendous support in India, which is a key market for Apple along with rival tech companies.
