India may get its first Apple Store

[mail2and]

Source: The Financial Express

Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Retail is actively negotiating with the $19.3-billion Apple Inc of the US to bring its high-end Apple Store to India. If the deal falls into place, India will be only the second Asian country after Japan and the sixth country outside the US to have an Apple retail outlet. Given that an Apple Store is a single-brand retail outlet, Apple Inc can hold up to 51% equity in the venture.

Apple Inc, which started its flagship outlet in California in 2001, has over 160 stores in the US. It also has Apple Stores in Britain, Canada, Italy and Japan. The stores carry Apple computers, software, iPod music players, third-party accessories, and other consumer electronics such as the Apple TV and the eagerly awaited iPhone, to be released this month end.

Apple Stores are renowned for being the destination hangouts for its brand loyalists and are famous for their architectural features and in-store designs. They feature a theatre for presentations and workshops, a studio for training with Apple products, while offering a Genius Bar for technical support and repairs, as well as free workshops available to the public.

Reliance Retail’s consumer durables and information technology (CD&IT) vertical recently launched Reliance Digital at Ghaziabad in the national capital region. Reliance Retail at present has 170 Reliance Fresh stores, which sell groceries and FMCG products.

Its next phase of expansion will see hypermarkets and more CD&IT stores coming up. According to sources the company is very keen on signing Apple and has held various rounds of talks in this regard.

When contacted, a Reliance group spokesperson declined to comment.

Good stuff.

I'm impressed with the Rs 777 phone that the Anil-led Reliance bought out recently. Now it's time for Mukesh to please us.

[iMav]

this news is bad news really bad news its confirming my worst beliefs something iv shouting my guts since day 1 .... reliance and iphone .... have fun guys .... as for the store .... iv seen some pics of their stores they look mind blowing

[praka123]

if it happens will be nice and a pride for Indians as many countries in Europe yet to have an apple store.IIRC

[gxsaurav]

Reliance & iPhone

iPhone ki lutiya doob jayegi

[amitava82]

Karlo iPhone Muthi main...

[hullap]

Originally Posted by amitava82

Karlo iPhone Muthi main...

HAHAHAHA

Imagine A CDMA Iphone

[gxsaurav]

As far as I know, Apple Stores are not franchisee based, Right? 51% equity in the venture means loss for Reliance. Now, do I need to say how good the gurjurati business man are .

To me this looks like a vapour ware unless Apple learns how the Indian Market works. People will just go to the shop, droll over white computers & LCD monitors & come out saying "Bhaiya, afford nahi kar sakte. 35K ka chota computer which cannot be upgraded & comes without a monitor keyboard or mouse. Simple Core 2 Duo wala le lenge "

[esumitkumar]

Guys I have been to Apple store , London and the environment there was mesmerizing...big big apple laptops...monitors..ipods and all in a two floor very big shop....

If its coming in India...its good

[amitava82]

Originally Posted by gx_saurav

As far as I know, Apple Stores are not franchisee based, Right? 51% equity in the venture means loss for Reliance. Now, do I need to say how good the gurjurati business man are .

To me this looks like a vapour ware unless Apple learns how the Indian Market works. People will just go to the shop, droll over white computers & LCD monitors & come out saying "Bhaiya, afford nahi kar sakte. 35K ka chota computer which cannot be upgraded & comes without a monitor keyboard or mouse. Simple Core 2 Duo wala le lenge "

Could you please explain why this joint venture will be loss for reliance?

As far the target market is concerned, they understand business better than we do.. No wonder why BOSE is doing good business here even though they costs a bomb. Because these are luxury goods targeted for different market segment.

[enticer86]

Arrey Reliance must b thinkin they sell Apples n hence they wud hav thm in the Reliance Fresh stores

Iphone n Reliance??
I changed my mind- no iPhone fr me

[gxsaurav]

Could you please explain why this joint venture will be loss for reliance?

From what it seems, Reliance will get 49% in profit while Apple will get 51% in profit. Now you tell me if that is a good partnership deal for Reliance ?

Besides, Like andy said, Apple has been a single brand retail outlet. Now you tell me, will u open an iPhone only shop if you were Mukesh Ambani? If this comes out to be true then Apple iPhone will not sale in Reliance World but instead it will Sale in Apple store, a small shop next to Reliance world dealing only in iPhone

[amitava82]

The apple Store will have all the apple products. And the 51-49 percentage is because of FDI regulations in India.. in case if you don't know

[soham]

Apple Inc. isnt worth $19.3-billion. According to a recent report from Dailytech its worth as much as $100 billion thanks to iPod and iTunes.

[amitava82]

$100B is market cap. Enterprise value is about $90B..

[sandeepk]

But has everyone forgotten that Mukesh Ambani no more controls Reliance Communications!!!! It is now Anil Ambani who controls it. And taking into account the ongoing rivarly between them, even if iPhone comes to India then Anil Ambani controlled Reliance Comm. won't be the one which will provide service for it. Another GPS operator something like Airtel may be the option... But it is a distant future as it is not going to be available in Europe too until yearend atleast...

[mail2and]

Guys.. who said iPhone will come out with Reliance? It's news about Reliance partnering with Apple to open Apple stores in India. We do currently have Apple Store-like showrooms.. but they're not owned by Apple. Hence, they are not classified as 'Apple Stores'.

Originally Posted by gx_saurav

From what it seems, Reliance will get 49% in profit while Apple will get 51% in profit. Now you tell me if that is a good partnership deal for Reliance ?

Did you really study commerce?

Originally Posted by soham

Apple Inc. isnt worth $19.3-billion. According to a recent report from Dailytech its worth as much as $100 billion thanks to iPod and iTunes.

$100 billion is the market capitalisation i.e. No. of equity shares x market price per share.

$19.3 billion is the actual turnover i.e. sales.

[BBThumbHealer]

Originally Posted by PaulScholes18

HAHAHAHA

Imagine A CDMA Iphone

sry to go off topic...but from where do we get these smilies ?

[gxsaurav]

Originally Posted by mail2and

Did you really study commerce?

Nah, I used to

[Sykora]

I'm sorry for raining on the parade with my relative naivety here, but I want to know how having an Apple Store in India is actually useful, besides the flaunt value. Will it bring substantially lower prices, or faster availability or something? Because being happy about having an Apple Store in India because of the environs is kind of pointless in the greater picture, if it can cater to only the highest tax bracket.

[aryayush]

Originally Posted by mail2and

Did you really study commerce?

Originally Posted by gx_saurav

Nah, I used to

Did you really learn English? Ha! Ha! Ha!


Apple Store in India would be a dream come true. I cannot wait to visit a Genius Bar.

Originally Posted by Sykora

or faster availability or something

Faster availability is a guarantee, if nothing else. There will also be a lot of other positives:
1. India will have as important a status as the US.
2. The Genius Bar.
3. The experience of visiting an Apple Store is unique.
4. The ability to customise your Macs before buying them.
5. India will also get an online store.
6. Special educational discounts and schemes such as free iPods and such.
7. Availability of refurbished products.
8. Awesome support.

Apple Stores stock only Apple products in the categories that Apple has products. For example, they won't stock any other computers apart from Macs, no other music players apart from iPods and no other phones apart from the iPhone. But they do stock consumer electronics from other companies too such as digital cameras, printers, televisions, etc.

[ax3]

reliance & iphone ............. no no no no ...............


iphone gonna suffer HERE ............

[goobimama]

FYI, the Apple corner in Goa is giving out free iPod shuffle with any Mac except for the Mini...

[dotcommakers]

wow.. i was really waiting for Mac to India.. Thank god we will have it and we will also have local support!

[gxsaurav]

Originally Posted by goobimama

FYI, the Apple corner in Goa is giving out free iPod shuffle with any Mac except for the Mini...

Free, then there are only 4 reasons

1) They are defective models

2) They have overstock

3) iPods are not saling so they are giving away for free

4) Apple store is not popular enough to attract buyers

[Pathik]

^^
5) Because iPod shuffles r cheap and they can afford to give it for free to popularize macs in india..

[goobimama]

1) They are not defective models
2) They are mostly out of stock
3) iPod shuffles particularly are selling amazingly well in India
4) I don't know about this but usually around this year they have some sort of offer. Even in the States there is a free iPod nano with every Mac.

[QwertyManiac]

You do get a Nano free with a MacBook if you are a student.

[aryayush]

Plus a $100 discount.

My sister is buying an Apple MacBook and an iPod Nano for a grand total of Rs. 42,000. She is going to buy an airplane charger as well which will cost extra, but forty-two thousand for a MacBook with an iPod Nano! WOW! I wish I was a student in the USA.

[mail2and]

It's 40k in London, after the VAT claim back and students' discount.

You can also get the $1300 MacBook for Rs. 61000, if you have a friend at NMIMS.

http://nmims.edu/mba2007/laptop.htm

Originally Posted by goobimama

FYI, the Apple corner in Goa is giving out free iPod shuffle with any Mac except for the Mini...

I'd rather want a year's supply of Fenny.

[desai_amogh]

fenny? have u ever tasted it?? its yuks..