Apple’s India retail stores to help create deeper connections with customers: Executive

The opening of new retail stores in Mumbai and Delhi will help Apple create deeper connections with customers in the Indian smartphone market, according to a senior executive of the Cupertino-based iPhone-maker.

The opening of the stores underlines Apple’s keenness to gain a stronger foothold in India, the world’s second largest smartphone market after China

“I would like to say that retail is where the best of Apple comes together. Since we opened our Apple store online here in India, we've been able to create meaningful connections with our customers all across the country,” said Deirdre O’Brien, SVP of Retail and People at Apple.


“We're so excited now that we're able to take those connections even deeper with the opening up of this (read: Mumbai) store and our other store in Delhi,” O’Brien added.

Apple is scheduled to open its first two retail stores in India in the financial hub of Mumbai – Apple BKC – on April 18, and the other one in the national capital Delhi – Apple Saket – on April 20.

“One of the things we're really proud about is this store is one of our most sustainable stores, and it's such a core value for us. Now, the other thing that's so important is inclusion. We worked really hard to ensure that every space at Apple, all of our stores are a place where everyone truly feels welcome and I think our customers are really going to feel that here,” O’Brien said.

“And that both this (read: Mumbai) store and Apple Saket in Delhi are truly centres of the community where our customers feel really welcomed and cared for,” she added.

Wendy Beckman, Senior Director, EMEIA - Apple Retail, noted that the company has been in India for over 25 years, and employs 2,500 people across its corporate offices while also supporting 1 million jobs and the thriving iOS app ecosystem.

“100 team members, almost 50% of the team, including leadership, are female. They speak over 25 languages, 18 of which are Indian local languages,” Beckman added.

Apple BKC features more than 100 team members who collectively speak over 20 languages. They will help customers learn about Apple products and offer advice on the best options to suit customers’ needs, as well as the Apple Trade In program.

“When the customers come in, they're going to be able to explore all of the products and services that Apple has to offer. Our teams are going to be here to walk through anything they need to talk about ways to buy, our trading program, as well as Apple pickup which means buy online, pick up in-store whenever it's convenient for you,” she said.

According to the executive, Apple will also offer free daily sessions to educate and inspire its customers to get the most out of products, along with sessions to offer tips and tricks about products and services.

“The team has been hard at work, curating a special program for the opening of the store. It's called Mumbai Rising. We're really excited about it. We want you to go online and explore all the different sessions and register them before we go into that because we're gonna have a little teaser with that,” she said.

Experts believe that the Apple-owned flagship stores are a lynchpin in Apple India’s playbook to win in a strategic growth market.

The opening day of Apple’s first retail store in the country may attract as many as 5000 additional footfalls at the mall where it is located, with some 2000 enthusiasts expected to camp overnight ahead of the opening on Tuesday, ET reported.

The sprawling two level store can be accessed from either end of Jio World Drive, though it is located at the far end from the main entrance.

Apple has been operating in India for more than 25 years, and as part of its deep commitment to the community, Apple continues its long-term support for the Akanksha Foundation, Barefoot College International, Applied Environmental Research Foundation (AERF), and others, the company said.

In the year to March, Apple assembled smartphones worth $7 billion, or around 7% of its iPhones, in India. It exported devices worth over $5 billion, or roughly 5% of its total global exports. In 2021, the company assembled 1% of its smartphones in the country while India’s export share was under 1%, according to industry data, underlining its domestic manufacturing expansion.

2022 was the best year for Apple in India, with iPhone shipments growing 11% year-on-year, which helped corner its highest ever volume share of 5.5%, said market tracker Cybermedia Research.