Last Update: July 11, 2023, 6:29 pm IST
China is a big market for the company and this move reflects its plans
iPhone maker Apple has opened a store on its social media platform, Tencent’s WeChat said on Tuesday, marking the expansion of the US firm’s retail channels in the world’s second-largest economy.
Beijing: Tencent’s WeChat said on Tuesday that iPhone maker Apple has opened a store on its social media platform, marking the US company’s expansion of retail channels in the world’s second largest economy.
China’s leading messaging app WeChat, which also offers e-commerce, livestreaming and payment services, announced that users will be able to buy Apple products including iPhones, iPads and Macs from the store.
Apple and Tencent did not immediately respond to requests for further comment.
Apple’s move comes as Chinese consumers are increasingly turning to social media platforms such as WeChat and ByteDance’s Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, for shopping.
In addition to its own stores and website, Apple already operates a shop on Alibaba Group’s Tmall online marketplace. Apple attempted to market its products over livestreams in China for the first time in May with a one-hour show.
China’s smartphone sales fell 5% year over year in the first quarter, according to data from Counterpoint Research, marking the lowest first-quarter sales figures for the country since 2014.
However, Apple recorded a 19.9% share of the Chinese smartphone market during the quarter — its largest since 2014 — as it grew sales by 6% year-on-year in a declining market, the research firm said.
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – reuters,