It’s hard to believe, given how many Apple Stores are constantly opening their doors, but Apple’s only got official retail presence in 13 countries. That’s nothing: a mere 6% of the world. Chances are, then, that unless you live in America or Western Europe, you don’t have easy access to an Apple Store.
Luckily, that’s a problem Apple’s looking to change, one country at a time. Next country on the list set to be transformed by the Apple retail experience? Good old Mother Russia.
According to a report in Russia’s Kommersant, Apple’s reps have been scouting Moscow for locations for their first Russian Apple Store.
But that’s not all: Cupertino’s also apparently created a new entity, Apple Rus, specifically meant to distribute iPhones, iPads, Macs and more in Russia. For the last fifteen-plus years, Apple has instead been using third-party distribution parties, but now they are looking to take it over themselves.
This is hardly official, but Russia seems like a good fit as the next expansion of Apple’s retail umbrella. If everything pans out, we could see an Apple Store in Moscow or St. Petersburg as early as next year.
Source: Kommersant
Via: Macworld
John Brownlee is a writer for Fast Company, and a contributing writer here at CoM. He has also written for Wired, Playboy, Boing Boing, Popular Mechanics, VentureBeat, and Gizmodo. He lives in Boston with his wife and two parakeets. You can follow him here on Twitter.
