Apple Looks to Strengthen Retail Presence in India with Croma Partnership

Apple is set to expand its retail presence in India thanks to a new partnership with consumer electronics chain Croma, according to a report from The Economic Times. The partnership would bring Apple 'store-within-a-store' concepts to Croma electronic stores across India -- similar to Apple stores in Target and BestBuys.

"We are proud to partner Apple to launch the Apple Store in India and extremely bullish about it," said Avijit Mitra, chief executive officer of Infiniti Retail, which owns Croma. "These stores will be modeled on the global design and will offer the best experience to consumers, showcasing the entire range of Apple products."

Five Apple "stores" will initially launch in five Croma locations in Mumbai including Malad, Juhu, Oberoi Mall, Phoenix Mall and Ghatkopar. The sixth store will launch at the Croma in Jayanager, located in the city of Bengaluru (Bangalore). Each store will feature approximately 400 - 500 square feet of Apple products and are set to open by November 11.


The report notes that the stores-within-stores will feature the same design, furniture, fixtures, and lighting that Apple uses in their retail stores worldwide. Apple also plans to train the Croma sales staff. Apple has yet to launch their own retail stores in India due to mandatory local-sourcing investment laws, but such a partnership will enable Apple to provide the 'Apple retail experience' while bypassing local laws and regulation.

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