Apple opens Vietnam online store

The store will offer the full line of hardware, accessories and services and free shipping. Customers can also use personalization services such as engraving their names on devices.

It will have a team of experts to provide support in Vietnamese if needed.

"We are proud to have the opportunity to expand in Vietnam," Deirdre O’Brien, the U.S. company’s retail senior vice president, said.

Currently the Apple website has a Vietnamese version, but only for promoting products, and users are redirected to third-party retailers if they want to buy.

The company has not announced prices, but they will be higher than at third-party stores, according to retailers.

"We still have our own strengths, and are not worrying too much [about the online store]," a retailer said.

The iPhone producer has shown increased interest in the Vietnamese market since last year, when it appointed Nguyen Thai Hai Van the first Country Director of Apple Vietnam.

At a company meeting, the management mentioned Vietnamese sales as a highlight and their contribution to the company’s record growth last year.

Sellers of Apple products also think it is very likely that a physical Apple store will be opened in Vietnam soon.

But online or physical stores will mainly help with branding and connecting with users, and large retailers like Mobile World, FPT Shop, CellPhoneS, and Hoang Ha Mobile will continue to play important roles in earning revenues for the company.

In Vietnam, demand for Apple products is falling. iPhone 14 prices had to be cut in February to stimulate demand instead of June, when it is normally done. They are now among the lowest in the world.