14 DAY TRIAL // A proposal from Indian re-sellers to set up shop in the country has been “tentatively approved” by Apple, according to people familiar with the plans. The company will reportedly give the go-ahead to have 500 iOS-themed stores built, in order to better target its smartphones at the country’s iPhone-hungry users.
At the moment, Apple operates in India through Redington and Ingram, two key distributors that supply the products to regional distributors, multi-product trade channels, and resellers. All this will soon change, according to unnamed sources cited by the IndiaTimes.
500 iOS stores across small towns and cities
The initiative apparently wasn’t Apple’s idea, or at least it wasn’t entirely theirs, according to the report. Sources say the company did respond positively to the proposal, and that it approved it “tentatively.” Moreover, Apple feels there is “very high” potential for its products in the country, chief among them being the iPhone.
The involved parties plan to erect as many as 500 “iOS” stores in small towns and cities like Amritsar, Pathankot, Moga, Coimbatore, Trichy, Nagpur, and Nasik, the report reveals.
“We are amazed at the purchasing power in smaller towns. The primary objective is to give a better and proper experience with adequate product demonstration,” a source said, while another one – asked about Apple’s current business model – added, “All this will change now. The company is finalizing plans to become a serious player in India, which is being seen as a strategic and one of the most promising markets globally.”
Apple is known to have sold about one million handsets in India by September this year, and sources say that the number could reach 3 million by year’s end.
Another source said, “These new stores will be smaller in size and could range from 300-600 sq ft against over 2,000 sq ft size of existing stores in bigger cities,” adding that the stores could adopt a franchise model and that Apple could even throw in its own advertising resources.
4-inch iPhone rumors
This week, rumors broke out that Apple was planning to revisit 4-inch displays with a successor to the iPhone 5c. While the plastic-built handset hasn’t set a record in terms of sales, it also hasn’t been a flop.
In emerging markets like India, Apple has sold record numbers of iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S. In fact, it once even prolonged production of a handset that was supposed to be discontinued, solely to satisfy demand in the country.
A cheap successor to the iPhone 5c next year isn’t too far-fetched, considering these new developments.
