No more online discounts on Apple products as company plans to launch stores in India

If you are thinking of buying apple products at deep discounts, now is the time to do so, because Apple is thinking of removing the discounts from ecommerce portals across India, before it launches digital and brick-and-mortar stores in the country.

"As Apple expects its FDI (foreign direct investment) application will receive approval shortly, it wants to bring back pricing hygiene across online and offline so that it can draw customers to its own stores and make them a viable revenue generator," one of the executives aware of the matter told ET on the condition of anonymity.

The company is presently awaiting clearance for its investment proposal, as it plans to open several Apple Stores.

In a recent hall meeting and in an interview to Fortune magazine, Apple CEO Tim Cook had talked about opening company-owned stores in India and the exciting opportunities that the newly found major market offers to the company.

The reasons that India is attracting Apple include a young population, an expanding and increasingly affluent middle class with a thirst for best consumer products, robust economic growth and the government's support and push towards economic reforms.

The past few quarters have seen Apple's revenue and sales growing at a quick pace in India. In a bid to differentiate with other online sellers and ecommerce marketplaces in India, Apple plans to offer value-added services through its company-owned online store.

The Apple online store will offer apple products for sale, customisation of hardware for Mac computers, company-certified refurbished products, and laser-engraving for customer's personal message on the products.

Consumers will also be able to purchase online and then pick up the product from an offline store.

Image source