Imagine Apple Store Shuts Store: Apple recently opened its first two stores in India. The first was opened in Mumbai, and the second in Delhi. But with the opening of Apple’s store, it has suffered a setback. The first loss from the opening of Apple’s store in Delhi is its premium reseller, Imagine, rather than its rival.
Imagine opening a store at Select Citywalk Mall in South Delhi nine years ago, which it closed after Apple opened its store. Apple opened its second store in the country last week at Select Citywalk.
What Does Imagine Do
Imagine is a premium reseller of Apple in India. Imagine provides the complete range of Apple products in one place. It is a one-stop shop for Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch.
Why Did The Store Have To Be Closed
Imagine wasn’t even on the list of 20 brands Apple barred malls from opening stores near its outlets. The Economic Times report quoted an executive as saying that the mall operator did not extend the lease of Imagine as it felt that the company’s store would generate more sales. There was no need for another company to sell the same brand.
These Brands Are Not Allowed
Select Infrastructure Pvt Ltd signed a lease contract with Apple last July. In that, Apple gave a list of 20 brands that cannot open mall stores.
These Are The Brands
- Amazon
- Boss
- Deviate
- Foxconn
- Alphabet/Google
- Huawei
- Intel
- Lenovo
- LG
- Microsoft
- Nest
- Nokia
- Panasonic
- Samsung
- Sony
- Vivo
- Xiaomi
- Oppo OnePlus
Half A Dozen Authorized Resellers
Apple has about half a dozen authorized resellers in India that offer customers extra cashback and discounts on product sales. The Imagine store at Select Citywalk was opened in 2014, and the mall operator told the store owner that his lease would not be extended. Most retail sellers have nine-year leases, with rent increases every three years.
If Apple had opened a main store elsewhere in Delhi, Imagine’s store could have remained open.
