Apple opens a retailer on the Chinese language platform WeChat

BEIJING, July 11 (Reuters) – iPhone maker Apple (AAPL.O) has opened a retailer on its social media platform, Tencent (0700.HK) subsidiary WeChat stated on Tuesday, marking an enlargement of its retail channels. The American firm ranks second on the planet. largest economic system.

The announcement of WeChat, China’s dominant messaging app that additionally gives e-commerce, stay streaming and cost companies, introduced that customers will have the ability to purchase Apple merchandise together with iPhones, iPads and Macs from the shop.

Apple and Tencent didn’t instantly reply to requests for additional remark.

Apple’s transfer comes as Chinese language customers more and more flip to social media platforms comparable to WeChat and ByteDance’s Douyin, the Chinese language model of TikTok, to buy.

Apart from its shops and web site, Apple already operates a retailer on Alibaba Group’s Tmall (9988.HK) on-line market. Apple additionally tried to market its merchandise stay in China for the primary time in Might with an hour-long present.

Smartphone gross sales in China within the first quarter fell 5% year-on-year, marking the nation’s lowest first-quarter gross sales determine since 2014, in line with information from Counterpoint Analysis.

Nonetheless, throughout the quarter, Apple recorded a 19.9% ​​share of the Chinese language smartphone market — the biggest since 2014 — as gross sales elevated 6% year-over-year in a declining market.

(Reporting by Beijing Newsroom, Sophie Yu and Brenda Goh); Modifying by Jacqueline Wong and Jamie Fried

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