Apple looking to launch trade-in programs for emerging markets in Asia Pacific, Latin America

After launching a new iPhone trade-in program through its retail stores in the U.S and UK and another initiative in India, Apple appears to be planning even more trade-in programs in emerging markets. A new job listing posted on the company’s website seeking a Reuse (Trade-In) Worldwide Program Manager is looking for someone to assist in “developing and implementing programs in emerging markets, with emphasis in APAC and ALAC, while enhancing current EMEIA and North American programs.”

That sounds a lot like Apple is planning to launch new trade-in programs in some of its emerging markets across Asia Pacific (APAC), Latin America and the Caribbean (ALAC). Apple describes the trade-in programs as a “mega trend” and lists its objectives as increasing its share of the used electronics market and “reducing the flow of Apple-branded materials into unauthorized markets, which tarnish the Apple Brand.”  The job listing adds, “Scaling these programs to keep Apple on the leading edge of this emerging mega trend is a priority,” something it has already started doing in recent months with its new retail store trade-in program in the US and UK.

Apple already runs a lot of trade-in and recycle programs internationally through its website. Before launching its new in-store programs through retail stores in the US, UK, and India this year, Apple ran an online reuse and recycle programs that still operate in a number of countries. Currently it runs international recycling and trade-in programs through its website in Canada, Japan, Brazil, Costa Rica, India and a number of Asia Pacific and European countries. Today’s job listing specifically mentions trade-in programs for “Apple Online Store, Education, Retail and the Reseller Channel.”

This week Apple kicked off a new trade-in program through retail partners in India that would offer customers big discounts for trading in their old iPhone 4 for a new iPhone 5C or iPhone 4S. Some speculate that tactic could be to boost sales of the lower-cost iPhone 5C in India as iPhone 5S reportedly continues to outsell the iPhone 5C by big margins in many countries.

In October we reported that Apple will soon begin training stores in Europe to implement the retail store trade-in program currently running the U.S. and UK. Unlike it’s online program that has users send in their devices, Apple’s new program in its retail stores allow customers to bring their devices in for evaluation and automatically receive a credit towards a new iPhone purchase.