Croma to run Apple stores in India

MUMBAI, INDIA: Its good news for lakhs of Apple fans in India, their very own Apple is opening retail outlet in the country.

But the news is better for Croma Retail, the LFR brand of the Tatas which will run these stores.

According to media reports, Croma will provide Apple exclusive shop floor at six of its outlets in Mumbai and Bengaluru as a pilot.

Though not an Apple store in the real sense, the design, furniture, fixtures and lighting will the same as that used in these stores globally and the sales staff will also be trained by the global consumer giant. In India, Apple sells through premium resellers, who run exclusive brand stores under the franchise model, and also at multi brand mobile and consumer electronics retail chains.

News agency ANI quoted Avijit Mitra, CEO, Infiniti Retail, as saying that they were proud to partner with Apple to launch the Apple Store in India and extremely bullish about it. The first stores will be at Malad, Juhu, Oberoi Mall, Phoenix Mall and Ghatkopar in Mumbai and the Croma store in Bengaluru’s Jayanagar. The stores will start running before Diwali next month.