Apple has finally launched its online store in India on Wednesday providing customers not only the ability to purchase products directly from the Apple Store, but also get direct customer support as well as trade-ins, student discounts and financing options. The complete range of Apple’s products and services are available in the online shop, including the iPhone line-up, the Mac computing device line-up, the iPad series, Apple Watch, Apple AirPods family, HomePod smart speaker and more.
Apple says that all orders will ship within 24 to 72 hours; however, some of the products like Macs are currently showing shipping times of up to a month. Further, there are some benefits for students, financing options for interested shoppers, and more. The Apple Store Online also offers features like localisations, the Education Store, Configure to Order your Mac computing devices, extended range of payments and EMI options, shopping assistance in English and Hindi and Apple Care+ services.
The “Trade-in” programme helps customers to exchange any eligible smartphone for credit towards a new iPhone.
AppleCare+ extends the warranty of your Apple product with up to two years of technical support and accidental damage cover.
Buyers can make payments for purchases made via the Apple India online store through credit and debit cards, credit card EMI, RuPay, UPI, net banking, and credit card on delivery. Apple has also confirmed that the delivery of any device bought via the Apple online store in India will be free.
Customers will also get a 1:1 online session with an Apple Specialist when you purchase certain products online from Apple. In addition, they will get support with hardware or software issues from an Apple expert, including setting up the device to recover Apple ID or replacing a screen.
The store opening is in line with Apple CEO Tim Cook saying in February that the company would launch its online store in India later this year, while its first physical retail store will open in the country in 2021. Apple has timed its much-awaited launch eyeing the festival season sales in India.
Prior to the launch of the store, Apple sold its products in India through third-party sellers and online marketplaces like Flipkart and Amazon. The Centre's had last year relaxed foreign direct investment (FDI) guidelines in a major push to single-brand retail, offering players more flexibility on local sourcing norms.
It had also done away with a provision that required companies to mandatorily set up a brick-and-mortar store before getting into online retail trading. Following the government's move, Apple had said it was keen on offering online and in-store experiences to Indian users at par with its global standards.
The Apple Store online will allow people to shop for Apple products, with online Apple specialists available to help with services like custom-configuring Macs to setting up new devices.
Customers can get advice, receive guidance, and learn about new products directly from Apple, both in English and Hindi, the statement said.
The online store will also offer financing options and trade-in programmes. All orders from the Apple Store online will ship with contactless delivery, a statement said. Orders that do not require a signature will be left at the customer's door, and those that do will need only a verbal confirmation from a safe distance instead of a written signature, it added.
Apple has been operating in India for over 20 years, and the company''s ongoing investment and innovation support almost 9 lakh jobs across the country, the company said.
Apple, which competes in the premium smartphone segment in India with players like Samsung and OnePlus, has been aggressively ramping up its presence in the Indian market. The US-based company, in collaboration with partners like Wistron and Foxconn, recently started assembling iPhone 11 in India.
According to Counterpoint Research, India's smartphone shipments in the premium segment (priced above Rs 30,000) declined 32 per cent year-on-year to over 1 million in the June 2020 quarter on account of disruptions related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Despite the fall, it was one of the least affected segments and reached its highest-ever share in the overall India smartphone market, contributing more than 4 per cent in total smartphone shipments, as per Counterpoint.
