Apple Store has officially launched in Vietnam today (May 18). Statistics indicate that the selling prices of products are not surprising, given the predetermined price structure.
For instance, the iPhone 14 Pro Max 128GB model is priced at approximately VND 26.1-26.7 million at FPT Shop and around VND 26.5 million at Mobile World. However, the price on the Apple Store is about $1,099 (26 million dong). It is worth noting that during the sale, the price of the iPhone 14 Pro Max 128GB model at Mobile World and FPT Shop is reduced by 7-8 million VND per product.
Similarly, the MacBook Pro 14 2023 M2 model (10CPU 16GPU 16GB/512GB) is priced at 48 million VND at Vietnamese dealers, while the Apple Store offers it for about $1,999, equivalent to 47.4 million VND.
According to a representative from CellphoneS, most of the selling prices of Apple’s iPhone, iPad, Mac products, and accessories on their online store are higher than those of major retail systems in the market. Additionally, the delivery time is quite long, ranging from 1 to 4 days in major cities, compared to the 1-2 hour fast delivery provided by some local retailers.
In terms of trade-in programs, the Apple Store offers lower prices for old devices compared to CellphoneS. The valuation process for trade-ins takes 7-14 days and relies on third-party pricing. “As previously mentioned, the impact of the official store depends greatly on the pricing policy. With higher prices and faster services, existing retail chains still maintain a competitive advantage,” added the representative.
Earlier, Apple stated that the online store in Vietnam would offer customers the same excellent service and personalized support as Apple Store locations worldwide. The online store will have a team of experts proficient in Vietnamese to provide support and share their expertise when needed.
From the perspective of Mr. Nguyen The Kha, Director of Mobile Telecommunications Division at FPT Shop & F.Studio by FPT System, the arrival of Apple’s online store in Vietnam is clear evidence that our market has been thoroughly analyzed and evaluated by Apple for its long-term growth and development potential.
Regarding the impact of online stores on traditional retail chains in Vietnam, Mr. Kha stated that in theory, these stores provide customers with an alternative option in the short term, when the demand hasn’t changed significantly. Therefore, the current retail system is only slightly affected.
However, upon deeper market assessment and understanding of Vietnamese consumer habits, Mr. Kha realized that the impact would not be significant. He believes that given the current intense competition in the market with Apple’s product range, it will be challenging for Apple’s online stores to attract Vietnamese customers based solely on price and online services, without the offline experience, in-store pickup, return policies upon device receipt, technical support for data migration, SIM support, or warranty assistance in case of hardware or aesthetic issues.
Here’s the link to Apple’s Online Store for Vietnam: https://www.apple.com/vn