Apple is reportedly planning to open 500 ‘iOS’ retail stores in India, according to The Economic Times. While Apple has had a presence in India since 2011, it has not been a “mainline” brand there, and has relied exclusively on two major distributors and a collection of independent authorized resellers.
This new initiative would see the company opening a large number of its own stores, albeit in the smaller 300-600-square foot range as compared to its usual 2,000-square foot Apple Stores. The new stores would be sited mostly in smaller towns and cities, the report says, and it seems likely that the focus would be on iPhones, iPads, and iPods, rather than Macs.
The report notes that Apple also plans to increase direct advertising spending in the country.
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