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Tata Group may soon open small exclusive Apple stores in India, The Economic Times reported on December 12.
Reportedly, the iPhone maker is partnering with Tata-owned Infiniti Retail, which runs the Croma store chain. Infiniti Retail is set to turn into an Apple franchisee partner with the intent of opening 100 such outlets of 500-600 sq ft each at malls as well as high-street and neighbourhood locations, the report said quoting people aware of the development..
Moneycontrol could not independently verify the report.
“Tata has already started discussions with premium malls and high streets for space,” said a retail consultant aware of the development told ET. The lease terms include details of brands and stores that can’t be opened near the outlet, he added. This is similar to the terms that Apple insists on, the person said, as quoted by the ET.
Apple India and Infiniti Retail didn’t respond to ET’s queries.
The Tata-Apple partnership comes as Apple’s first company owned flagship store is set for a likely opening in Mumbai in the March quarter.
The Apple Premium Resellers outlets, which are typically over 1,000 square feet in area, are larger than the Apple Authorised Reseller. The smaller stores will mostly sell iPhones, iPads, and watches, while premium Apple outlets will carry the entire Apple product line, including MacBooks.
There are currently 160 Apple Premium Reseller stores in India.