Vietnam is the latest country to get an online Apple store to shop for iPhone, Mac and other products.
It’s the latest move in the company’s efforts to increase sales in Asia — Thursday’s opening comes a month after Apple opened its first retail stores in India.
Apple store: Good morning, Vietnam!
“Customers are always at the center of everything we do, and we’re thrilled to bring the Apple Store online to Vietnam,” said Deirdre O’Brien, Apple’s senior vice president of Retail, in a statement. “With today’s expansion, we’re proud to offer customers an incredible new way to discover and shop for our amazing products and services, connect with our knowledgable team members, and experience the best of Apple.”
The online version of the Apple store for Vietnam is open now. Customers can begin shopping. Beyond simply selling devices, the virtual storefront offers the Apple Trade In program, safe data transfer, and help switching to iOS from Android.
This is not the first time iPhone, iPad, Mac, etc. have been available in the country. Previously, the products were sold through authorized resellers and carriers. But now Vietnamese customers can buy straight from Apple.
So far, there has been no word on whether Apple retail stores are also planned for the Asian country.
Expanding Apple’s reach
Vietnam has a population of 100 million — no small number of potential Apple customers. And the company has an eye on growth coming from outside its traditional markets.
Luca Maestri, Apple’s chief financial officer, recently credited robust iPhone sales in the first three months of 2023 to “a very strong performance in emerging markets from South Asia and India to Latin America and the Middle East.
And Vietnam is important to Apple as more than a market for its wares: the company is increasingly turning to the country as a place to assemble its products. AirPods are already made there, and Apple reportedly wants to make iPad and Apple Watch there.
