The first-ever official Apple Store in India – Apple BKC opens next week on April 18th in Mumbai and the second store opens in Delhi on the 20th. Over the years, I have had the chance to visit several Apple Stores across the world and here is why I think Apple Stores coming officially to India is a big win for Apple users and consumers.
Distinct design and ambience
Most Apple stores are located at strategic locations near important landmarks. They are carefully crafted to have a distinct design, yet all have the familiar Apple Store feel. They are usually spacious, have free high-speed Wi-Fi and offer a good ambience to anyone visiting the store. The vibe has been consistent in my experience across a few countries, while there might be some cultural differences from one country to another.
One of my favourite stores is the famous cube in Fifth Avenue in New York City. The best part is that this store is open 24 hours a day throughout the year. Another iconic one is the Grand Central store within a railway station.
Try any product on display without any commitment to buy
The best thing about visiting an Apple Store is the ability to check out any product from the company. You get to experience real working products with preloaded content depending on the product type. You don’t have to deal with products behind a glass box, dummy or products which don’t work as they are supposed to.
The sales representatives are not very pushy and don’t bother you unless you require help. There is no commitment to buy, and it is totally fine for users to just walk in and experience the products.
Plenty of Inventory
Apple stores generally tend to have ample amount of inventory for most popular products. While this might be an issue during major product launches, company owned stores generally have plenty of product inventory. Even then, I have managed to order store pick-up for a few products which have a lot of demand. We hear from a lot of users who are in the market for an Apple product, but are not able to find one at stores. The company owned stores are certainly going to change this.
Accessory Collection
It is usually difficult to witness the complete accessory ecosystem under one roof, but a company-owned store could easily over the limitations associated with this. I have sometimes even seen accessories that are not available online at offline stores. I ended up buying the Philips Hue smart lighting system and a Shure microphone at an Apple Store.
Ease of Shopping
You don’t have to wait in a queue for billing and payments. Most Apple Store staff carry a POS device through which customers can pay for their purchases and receive the receipts on email. I have bills of purchases I have made as far back as 2008 which is 15 years ago!
In some countries, you can even return products within a few days of purchase for a full refund, not sure if this option will be available in India.
Another interesting option is store pickup. You can purchase items online and chose store pickup option. Most often this is quicker as the store might have stocks already, rather than having to ship the product to you from the warehouse. Hope the Apple Store app is updated to enable store pick-ups in India.
Sophisticated support and service – Genius Bar
Genius Bar is a dedicated area within Apple stores to provide technical support to products which are both under warranty and out of warranty. I have had a majorly good experience with Apple stores while requiring support. I remember getting an iPhone’s broken display fixed in under 2 hours in the US.
There is a dearth of genuine Apple centres in India and most of the repair is handled by Apple Authorized service centres. I have waited for parts to arrive from Bangalore and even Singapore in some cases. Still have managed to get complete replacements for products covered under Apple Care warranty. I hope the service situation in India improves with the launch of official stores in the country.
Today at Apple – Free sessions
Apple hosts free sessions at Apple Stores to help users discover the true potential of their devices. These are not only beneficial to beginners who are new to the Apple ecosystem, but also advanced users who want to learn from the experts. There are still some slots for a few sessions at the Apple BKC store in Mumbai which are available if you are interested to sign up. 
Why it is a major win for consumers
Several consumer-facing brands that have ventured into the retail space have certainly drawn inspiration from Apple stores in some way or the other. Be it Microsoft, Samsung or Google. Apple already has a good number of resellers in India, but the first few company stores could emerge as a benchmark for retail in the country.
This is what Neil Shah, Vice President of Research at Counterpoint Research had to say about the development :
There is a premiumifcation of smartphone market is happening as consumers buy their third or fourth smartphones which has become their go-to device and inseparable part of their lives to consume content, communicate or commerce. Apple is looking to capitalize on this premiumification trend by offering the premium Apple experience and ecosystem showcase which will drive maturing smartphone users into one of the best connected devices and services ecosystem in the market.
Mumbai is one of the key markets for Apple and contributes to almost 10% of sales according to Counterpoint’s city level tracker behind Delhi. Now it makes sense why Apple chose to start with Mumbai and Delhi for their first two retail stores in India.
Vignesh Selvasundar, a Content Specialist and Apple user on the store opening :
Apple finally opening up their retail stores in India is truly exciting. As someone who’s shopped at multiple apple stores around the world over the years, it is unlike anything. Every single apple device is available in abundance to use and experience as it’s yours. The process of buying an apple produce from an Apple Store feels way more personal than the regular retailers in India.
Nothing can match the feel of touching and holding a product in your hand when it comes to consumer electronics, and I hope to see more companies increasing their retail footprint in India.
Apple has had an exceptionally good run in the country for the past few quarters, and there is certainly strong demand for iPhones and Macs in India. I can’t wait to visit these stores on my next trip to Mumbai and Delhi.