Apple has begun hiring for a new Apple Store in Malaysia, which would potentially be the first time the company has added a new country to its retail store network since 2018. Potentially, because it’s as yet unclear whether the first Indian store might open beforehand.
Oddly, the job listings don’t specify where in the country the store will be opening, but the capital, Kuala Lumpur (shown above), would be the obvious choice …
Background
When Steve Jobs announced the opening of Apple Stores in 2001, there were widespread predictions that the initiative would be a failure. With online shopping taking off, critics said that it was foolish to invest in physical stores at a time when their future was limited. Other said it was ridiculous to invest so much money in fancy designs when people only cared about the products.
Today, of course, Apple Stores are famously the most profitable retail stores in the world, earning more money per square foot than even Tiffany or Harrods.
The last time Apple opened a store in a new country was Thailand, back in 2018.
Apple Store Malaysia
Bloomberg reports on the latest plan.
Apple Inc. has begun hiring employees for a retail push into Malaysia, preparing to bring its chain to the Asian nation for the first time.
The company recently published job listings on its website for locations in Malaysia, seeking store managers, technical specialists and support staff, salespeople for businesses, and operations experts. The listings indicate that the positions will be for Apple’s own retail stores, not third-party reseller locations that have long operated in Malaysia.
As the report notes, the Asia-Pacific region (which excludes China and Japan) last year generated $29B. The Singapore Apple Store has become one of the most famous in the world, thanks to its spectacular design.
We don’t even know for sure which city the first Malaysia store will be in – though it’s hard to imagine it could be anywhere other than Kuala Lumpur – let alone the store design, but the city certainly has some impressive architecture.
Indian Apple Stores
Another unknown is whether Malaysia or India will be the next new country to get an Apple Store. Hiring also began there earlier this month, with the first store expected to open in Mumbai in March – though the schedule isn’t certain given the country’s famous bureaucracy (they learned from the best: Brits).
Photo: Muhammad Akhir/Unsplash
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