Apple Stores to Finally Open in India: What Makes Them So Special?

On this week’s orbital, we discuss Apple Stores around the world, the ones opening in India and what should make them stand out?

Written by Sheldon Pinto, Edited by Siddharth Suvarna | Updated: 14 April 2023 18:47 IST

Apple Stores to Finally Open in India: What Makes Them So Special?

Photo Credit: Apple

Apple will open its first retail store in India in BKC, Mumbai on the 18th of April, 2023

Highlights

Apple BKC in Mumbai is scheduled to open on April 18
The Apple Store in Saket, New Delhi, will open its doors on April 20
Apple has revealed the barricades for both stores in India

All eyes will be on Apple on April 18, which is when Apple is expected to open the doors to its first official retail store in India. India's first Apple Store, Apple BKC, will open at the Jio World Drive Mall, in Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC), Mumbai at 11:00am IST. The second store, called Apple Saket, will open at Select CITYWALK, New Delhi, on April 20 at 10:00am IST. Apple Stores are known for their design, experience and also for keeping in stock every single Apple product on sale in that country.

On this week's episode of the Gadgets 360 podcast Orbital, host and Reviewer Pranav Hegde talks to Senior Reviewer, Sheldon Pinto (myself) and Executive Editor, Jamshed Avari, who will be visiting the Apple BKC store on launch day. We discussed everything from the designs of the Apple Store globally, to the experience of the ones we have visited and what makes them so special.

The concept of an Apple Store is quite new for India. So, we first discuss how different they are and whether the concept of the store is special to begin with. This is less down to the speciality of the store and is more to do with how uniquely Apple does what it does. Stores that resemble the Apple Store format (though not a replica) do exist in the form of authorised retail stores like those from Maple, Aptronics and the like. But the actual Apple Store does things quite differently and this is what we believe may turn out to be an eye-opener for most Apple customers or visitors.

While friendly and knowledgeable staff may be a prerequisite for any authorised retailer, the ability to browse through every single accessory on sale in India will indeed be something that local retailers will possibly find hard to match.

We also discuss our personal experiences with Apple Stores abroad. While some of them are very special in terms of location, architecture and design, stores in other locations may not be all that special. So, it will indeed be interesting to see how Apple approaches and moulds its store designs around the cultures of these two cities in India.

Apart from the visual and cosmetic treatment, Apple Stores are also about the experience. Stores are known for constantly inviting local artists, holding training sessions, and more. There's also a focus on education, which is mainly to do with Apple devices.

Lastly, we dive into how Apple may do things differently for the Indian market. How it has the potential to change the way most people perceive and experience Apple service and support currently. And how Apple's online store has been a precursor to the grand opening of the first and hopefully, many stores to come in India.

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Further reading: Apple, Apple Store, Apple BKC, Apple Saket

Sheldon Pinto

Email Sheldon Pinto

Sheldon Pinto is based in Mumbai, and has several years of experience in reviewing smartphones and gadgets. As a Senior Reviewer at Gadgets 360, you will always find him deeply immersed in his reviews, switching from one phone to another. When the battery dies out, Sheldon is always browsing the web for a good sci-fi movie or reading up on cars and bikes. He also loves creating lists of interesting places to eat and travel. Sheldon is available on Twitter at @shellshocd, and you can mail him at ...More