Apple is working on plans to expand and revitalize its retail chain, with the goal of expanding further into China and other parts of Asia, as well as revamping its established locations in the United States and Europe.
According to individuals familiar with the discussions, the iPhone manufacturer is considering establishing 15 new stores in the Asia-Pacific region, five locations in Europe and the Middle East, and four additional stores in the United States and Canada by 2027. The company is also aiming for six renovated or relocated locations in Asia, nine in Europe, and thirteen in North America, according to the individuals, who requested anonymity because the matter is confidential. Over the next four years, the company proposes 53 new, relocated, or renovated stores.
Apple seeks to revitalize its 22-year-old retail operation, which is one of the world’s most revered institutions but has struggled in recent years with pandemic concerns, customer service issues, and labor unrest. The objective is to expand Apple’s brand in emerging markets, such as India while improving the customer experience in the United States and Europe.
According to the individuals, the most noteworthy new stores under consideration or development include three locations in India, the company’s first outpost in Malaysia, and an enhancement to Apple’s historic location in the Opera retail district of Paris. In addition, it will shortly establish a store in London’s Battersea Power Station near its new local headquarters and is contemplating a second location in Miami. And a flagship store is planned for Shanghai’s Jing’an Temple Plaza.
Some of the prospective locations and dates remain internal projections or proposals, meaning they could be delayed or scrapped entirely. Apple has signed leases with landowners for a number of the stores, which are currently under construction. The company’s representative in Cupertino, California, declined to comment.
Apple has over 520 stores in 26 countries, with approximately half of them located in the United States. The chain is notoriously profitable on a per-square-foot basis, but the stores frequently focus more on brand building than product sales. The majority of the company’s revenue comes from other channels, including its e-commerce website. However, brick-and-mortar locations remain essential for consumers to purchase products on release day, receive technical support, and enroll in classes.
Deirdre O’Brien, one of Apple’s longest-serving executives, oversees the company’s retail operations after Burberry Group Plc veteran Angela Ahrendts departed the position in 2019. Kristina Raspe, Apple’s administrator in charge of global real estate and facilities, oversees the construction and maintenance of the stores themselves. This entity reports to the chief financial officer of the company rather than to O’Brien.
Apple operates four types of retail stores, according to internal specifications: standard stores within indoor malls, “Apple Store+” locations that can be found in outdoor malls or on city streets, “flagships” in key areas with unique designs, and “flagship+” stores, which are the largest and most expensive to operate. According to internal data, regular stores typically generate over $40 million (approximately Rs. 329 crores) annually, while Apple Store+ locations generate over $45 million (roughly Rs. The flagships generate over $75 million (approximately Rs. 617 crores) annually, while the flagship+ properties generate over $100 million
The Asia-Pacific region is the primary focus of the expansion, with 21 new or renovated facilities planned through 2027. Approximately one-third of Apple’s revenue was generated by the market last year, or approximately $130 billion (roughly Rs. 10,70,134,000 crore), and countries like India have emerged as critical growth engines. In April, Apple launched its first two stores in India.
Later this year, the company will launch a new mall location in Wenzhou, China, upgrade its Nanjing East flagship location in Shanghai, and add two new locations in South Korea. This expansion in South Korea, the home country of chief rival Samsung Electronics, will increase the country’s total number of offices to seven. Apple launched its Gangnam store in Seoul in March, and its Myeongdong store a year earlier.
The company plans to open its first store in Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur in 2019, as well as a new store in Jing An Temple Plaza, remodel its Pudong location in Shanghai, and potentially open its first location in Foshan, China. In addition, it intends to open a new store at the Grand Front Plaza Mall in Osaka and renovate its Shinsaibashi location in the region.
Even as relations between the United States and China deteriorate, Apple continues to rely heavily on China as a manufacturing partner and a market for its products. Tim Cook, Apple’s chief executive officer, lauded this relationship during a trip to China earlier this year, describing it as “symbiotic,” and Apple’s retail expansion demonstrates its commitment to the country.
Apple is considering establishing its third store in India in the Mumbai suburb of Borivali in 2025 and may relocate the location to Perth, Australia. In addition to the remodel of Apple’s Ginza store in Japan, which was the company’s first in the country when it opened in 2003, four new China stores are planned for that year. The establishment was relocated to an interim location after its original structure was demolished a year ago.
Apple plans to establish its fourth location in India in 2026. It would be located in the DLF Promenade Mall, making it the second in New Delhi. This store could become Apple’s second-largest in India, after the Bandra Kurla Complex location that opened in April in Mumbai. Additionally, the company is preparing the foundation for a new store in Yokohama, Japan, as well as a relocated store in Shibuya Marui, Japan. Apple plans to open a fifth Indian office in the Mumbai neighborhood of Worli in 2027.
Apple plans to establish a store in London’s Battersea neighborhood as early as this month. In addition, the company intends to open a new store in Madrid’s La Vaguada retail center and relocate its Milton Keynes location in the United Kingdom. Europe contributed more than $95 billion (approximately Rs. 7,82,11,600) to Apple’s sales last year, or roughly a quarter of total revenue. The United Kingdom is Apple’s third-largest retail market, with approximately 40 stores.
Apple is renovating or relocating the majority of its aging or obsolete storefronts. In some instances, they are smaller than most contemporary locations and lack amenities such as a product collection area or classroom seating. Apple’s aesthetic has also evolved over time. The business has replaced metal walls and accents with timber shelving.
O’Brien seeks to enhance the Apple store experience in a broader sense. In recent years, complaints from both customers and employees have accumulated, and the chain has lost some of the cachets it enjoyed when Apple’s dazzling logo first began appearing in retail centers two decades ago. Additionally, the corporation has been coping with a unionization drive in both the United States and abroad.
Apple is considering relocating four stores in the United Kingdom and one in Le Chesnay, France, as well as opening its fourth store in Sweden. A year later, it plans to relocate one more UK location, possibly remodel the French Opera location, and open a new location in Al Ain, Abu Dhabi. This will be the company’s fifth location in the United Arab Emirates.
Apple is also considering opening a store in Dortmund, Germany. This is Apple’s eighth-largest retail region, with over a dozen locations. It is considering relocating to Munich in 2027.
In North America, Apple’s retail expansion plans are more focused on revamping existing operations than expanding into new cities. Next month, the Tice’s Corner store in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey, will undergo a makeover. This was the last Apple store with an original black façade, extending back to the chain’s 2001 debut. Throughout the remainder of 2023, the company intends to relocate three additional US stores and one Canadian store.
Apple is contemplating a few new US locations for next year, including a mall store in Torrance, California, and a major new location at the $4 billion Worldcenter development in Miami. It is also considering establishing a significant new location in Detroit and relocating an existing store in Ann Arbour.
Apple is planning to open a store in North Carolina’s Birkdale Village Mall, replacing a Charlotte location that abruptly closed in March due to a spate of crimes in the area. In 2024, an additional five relocations are planned for the United States.
In 2025, Apple plans to establish its second location in Kansas, a large store in Wichita, as well as three other relocations in the United States. It is also contemplating relocating its Montreal Sainte-Catherine Street location.
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