Apple confirms delay in opening its first retail store in Mumbai

By Sanjay Maurya

News Highlights

The inauguration of Apple’s first physical store in India has been postponed because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, stated early last year that the business will establish its first retail shop in 2021.
Apple has revealed that its first retail store would open in Mumbai’s Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) at Maker Maxity mall.

Apple confirms delay in opening its first retail store in Mumbai

The inauguration of Apple’s first physical store in India, scheduled for this year in Mumbai, has been postponed because of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the company. Tim Cook, stated early last year that the business will establish its first retail shop in 2021.

While Apple has a strong franchise retail network in India, its online shop, which opened in September, has allows the firm to reach customers beyond its retail network. Cook claimed the company has sold over a million smartphones in the nation for the first time in an earnings call after revealing the company’s 2020 results in January.

For example, we doubled our business in India last quarter compared to a year ago, he told analysts, while pointing out that Apple’s absolute amount of business there is still low compared to the scale of the market.

The delay is likely to impact the company’s offline expansion ambitions in India, as the Mumbai store may result in the multi-store plan being implemented only in additional locations. The delay in the debut of the retail shop was first reported by the Indian Express, and the company confirmed the same news.

Apple has revealed that its first retail store would open in Mumbai’s Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) at Maker Maxity mall. According to reports from last year, the Cupertino-based company leased over 20,000 square feet in BKC to establish its first retail store in the nation.

The Mumbai store is believed to have three floors and will be similar to the company’s flagship store in Hong Kong. The Mumbai retail shop is planned to include a dedicated experience center on one floor for customers interested in purchasing Apple goods, similar to other physical retail locations. The remaining two floors were said to use for retail and service. In comparison to Apple’s other franchise stores, the new store in Mumbai is believed to be the country’s largest.