“Reliance Retail has clinched an exclusive marketing and distribution deal with the… iconic maker of iPods and Mac computers, Apple, for standalone iStores. This is Reliance Retail’s first exclusive alliance with an international brand. The partnership was sealed on Monday. The first store, to be called iStore by Reliance Digital, will come up by October-end in Bangalore,” Deepshikha Monga and Chaitali Chakravarty report for The Economic Times.
“This is the first time Apple is tying up with a big corporate house for distribution anywhere in the world. The iStores would be standalone stores selling Apple products ranging from Macintosh computers to iPods and later, once it’s launched in India, the latest cult offering from Apple, the iPhone,” Monga and Chakravarty report.
“The standalone store, which will be opened just ahead of Diwali, will be spread over 2,000 sq ft and is currently under construction. Globally, Apple stores are not mere retail stores, they feature a theatre for presentations and workshops, a studio for training with Apple products, and a Genius Bar for technical support and repairs, and also offer free workshops to the public,” Monga and Chakravarty report. “The Mukesh Ambani-controlled Reliance Retail will open 10 iStores by the end of the calendar year.”
More in the full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Mike in Helsinki” for the heads up.]
Exciting but don’t have a cow over it.
Very good, 4-(2-aminoethyl)benzene-1,2-diol, but it’ll fly over their heads. Like pigs.
@ron: STFU
The last time we tried to get a Mac Mini for my dad was aborted because of poor customer service. He finally settled for a Lenovo.
I hope they open a new store at Kochi so that I can persuade him to get a Mac soon.
I wish them well.
Good luck
@4-(2-aminoethyl)benzene-1,2-diol
don’t be such a dope!
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God, no!
I hope they don’t end up making Reliance the exclusive carrier for the iPhone. That would be a tragedy. If you guys in the US think thought that AT&T;sucks, you’ve never had to suffer the Reliance network.
Please, Apple – please don’t kill the iPhone’s Indian launch by making it a reliance exclusive. Please! For your own sake.
Reliance is phenomenol – like i have always said – time to go to India. Glad SJ is muchsmarter than some of the hillbilly morons on this page.
Reliance – another globalist monster on the peoples back. Beware!
Good to see Apple expanding it’s Global Sales and Marketing in the Apple Fashion. Can’t get the red tape out of the way to open Apple Stores in India contract with someone already doing business in India to open and run the stores for you and do it like it’s an Apple Store.
Wow, Really Great News, I am happy to read this news. this great for me because, i am planing to buy apple laptop or mobile phone on this Diwali festival. But i hope that this will cheap in istore. i will buy from that. Really great news and thanks for great news.
Really very nice and good info you share here. I read your entire post and here you nice explanation on Reliance Istore. Actually i am searching for corporate Diwali gifts. But i found your post and got really very nice info. Thanks for your nice info.
“The pratnership was sealed, which will be opened just ahead of Diwali,