Apple says ‘Hello Mumbai!’

Media is abuzz with news of Apple’s official announcement of its first-ever flagship retail store in India  -the ‘Apple BKC’ store - set to be launched soon at the Jio World Drive Mall in BKC, Mumbai.

The Apple website makes the announcement loud and clear: “Hello Mumbai. We are getting ready to welcome you aboard our first store in India. And raring to see where your creativity takes you at Apple BKC.”

Apple is also expected to open its second store in India in New Delhi at a later date. The BKC  store is reportedly inspired by Mumbai’s ‘Kaali Peeli’ taxi art. Further, to celebrate the new store launch and the city, the Apple Website also offers the new Apple BKC wallpaper for download and a specially curated playlist of Mumbai sounds on Apple Music. With these interesting precursors to the store launch, the date of which is yet to be officially announced, one can expect the Apple store to be an interesting case study in retail as an interactive community space, one that resonates with the city’s culture, and reiterates the brand positioning among its loyal clientele. Also, given that the company’s ‘Make in India’ shipments reportedly grew by 65 per cent by volume and 162 per cent by value in 2022, the upcoming flagship store would be an interesting space to watch.