Apple has decided to expand its retail services offered in China. On June 30th, the Cali-based tech giant announced that as part of its new expansion model, the company will not let the users place an order online and pick it up from their nearby Apple Store location or wherever the product is available.
Apple’s in-store pickup option debuted back in 2009; however, the option only offered a limited number of products, such as iPhones and MacBooks. Over the years, following consumer preferences and extending its services so that its users can have access to Apple products more easily, the in-store pickup option expanded and included a number of products offered by the company. Notably, this feature is already available for almost a decade in the U.S. as a part of Apple’s in-store pickup program. This program streamlines the purchase process by allowing customers to shop online and take a receipt of their order at a nearby Apple Store. After being available in the US for almost a decade, finally, in mainland China, buyers can now place orders through apple.com.cn and select “pick up” at checkout.
The availability of the products can be checked using one of Apple’s 42 outlets in the region. The products that are marked “available today” are available within an hour after a payment, and the customers will be notified whenever their order is ready for pickup. Alternatively, buyers can schedule a pickup time for faster service. For the pickup, the customers need to produce the order confirmation receipt and a valid photo ID proof.
It should be kept in mind that following the outbreak of COVID-19, Apple has limited the number of visitors to its stores.
The new retail choice arrives as Apple and other companies ease back into normality following COVID-19 prohibitions. Apple has instituted precautions like limiting the number of visitors to its stores.
