Apple stores will finally open in India: what makes them so special?

All eyes will be on Apple on April 18 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 Jio World Drive Mall, Bandra Kurla (BKC) Complex, Mumbai at 11:00 am IST. The second store, called Apple Saket, will open at Select CITYWALK, New Delhi on April 20 at 10:00 a.m. IST. Apple Stores are known for their design, experience and also for stocking every Apple product on sale in that country.

On this week’s episode of the Gadgets 360 Orbital podcast, host and reviewer Pranav Hegde talks with senior reviewer, Sheldon Pinto (myself) and editor, Jamshed Avari, who will be visiting the Apple BKC store the day of the launch. We discussed everything from Apple Store designs around the world to the experience of those we visited and what makes them so special.

The concept of an Apple Store is quite new for India. So, we first discuss their difference and whether the concept of the store is special to begin with. It’s less about the specialty of the store and more about how Apple does what it does. Stores that resemble the Apple Store format (but not a replica) exist in the form of authorized retail stores like those of Maple, Aptronics and others. But the current Apple Store does things very differently, and that’s what we think would be a revelation to most Apple customers or visitors.

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

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

Beyond visual and cosmetic treatment, Apple Stores are also about experience. Stores are known to constantly invite local artists, organize training sessions, etc. There’s also a focus on education, which is mostly about Apple devices.

Finally, we take a look at how Apple can do things differently for the Indian market. How it has the potential to change the way most people currently view and experience Apple service and support. And how Apple’s online store was a precursor to the official opening of the first and hopefully many upcoming stores in India.

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