Apple has just signed a deal with Paytm to sell its iPhone and iPad devices on Paytm Mall. As part of the deal, Paytm Mall is now an official online seller for all the Apple devices. This deal also means that Apple has direct sales ties with the top three e-commerce platforms in the Indian market. The iPhone maker already has similar sale deals with Flipkart and Amazon India. According to the report, a part of the deal also revealed that now only authorized Apple resellers can offer Apple devices on the platform.
A report by The Economic Times revealed that this is likely to control the prices of Apple devices in the market. As part of the move, Apple was likely not happy with the deep discounts offered by these third parties. With the partnership, Apple will now directly supply Paytm and Paytm Mall with its devices. Online sales for the Apple devices have gone down from 50-55 percent in January 2019 to just 35-40 percent. In a statement to The Economics Times, an executive stated, “While Amazon, Flipkart, and Paytm Mall will have to adhere to the business terms set by Apple, they can have promotions where they can have special prices for a limited period of time only”.
However, Paytm Mall Senior Vice President Srinivas Mothey confirmed this partnership while responding to questions regarding the information. Mothey adds, “We are excited to partner with Apple to directly start selling latest editions of iPhone, iPad and other Apple products in India.” He also stated, “Paytm Mall is one of India’s leading seller of premium mobile phones, and adding Apple’s range will further strengthen our list of offering to our customers.”
Similar Apple iPhone Sale deals
The report also talked about other similar agreements that Apple signed in recent years. The company signed a global deal with Amazon back in November 2018. The agreement between Apple and Flipkart predates the one between Apple and Amazon. Shopping on Flipkart, Amazon India, and Paytm Mall accounts to about 95 percent of smartphone shopping in India. The report also added that Apple was no longer partners with Infibeam. This partnership comes just months before the scheduled launch of the Apple iPhone 2019 lineup.
