Apple, the maker of the iPhones, reportedly opened a store on the WeChat platform, Tuesday, expanding the American company’s retail options in the second-largest economy in the world.
Users will be able to buy Apple products including iPhones, iPads, and Macs via the shop, according to an announcement made by WeChat, China’s most popular messaging app that also offers e-commerce, livestreaming, and payment services.
Apple’s move comes as Chinese consumers increasingly use social media sites like WeChat and ByteDance’s Douyin, the country’s version of TikTok, to shop online. Requests for additional comment from Apple and Tencent were not immediately fulfilled.
Apple currently runs a store on Alibaba Group’s Tmall online marketplace in addition to its own stores and website. In May, Apple attempted to advertise its products in China for the first time through a webcast of an hour-long performance. Together with the online stores, Apple have more than 40 retails stores in China.
