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Apple is reportedly planning to open its first retail location in Rio de Janiero, Brazil early next year, according to 9to5Mac. The specific target date for the opening would reportedly be between February and March 2014, which contrasts with an earlier report from August stating that Apple would be opening its first Brazllian retail store this December. An early 2014 opening would still have the store up and running several months before the start of the FIFA World Cup being held in Rio in June and July.

village_mall_rio.jpg

The report also states that Apple will seek some of its U.S. Apple Retail employees to temporarily relocate to Rio de Janeiro for a few months in early 2014 to educate local employees about Apple retail procedures and act as in-store workers. Apple's difficulty in recruiting employees for its Brazillian store was reportedly one of the reasons why the company could not open the store in July as originally intended.

Apple began hiring for its first Brazilian retail stores last November, and the company has been working with assembly partner Foxconn to move some iPhone and iPad production to the country to avoid hefty import taxes and allow Apple to expand its market share. In October, a regulatory agency also granted Apple the authorization needed to sell the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c in Brazil. However, the company has not stated when exactly the new iPhones will launch in the country, as Brazil has not been included on the list of the next round of countries to receive the iPhone.

Article Link: First Apple Retail Store in Brazil Reportedly Opening in Early 2014
 
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brdeveloper

macrumors 68030
Apr 21, 2010
2,626
313
Brasil
I prefer better exchange rates than an Apple Store in Brazil. Macbooks will continue expensive. Good times when we could buy a Macbook Pro for "as cheap as" $1500,00 and even less when new models came to the market. I remember a friend buying a brand new Macbook Pro 13" 2010 for $1350,00 in mid-2011. Believe, that was a great deal. Now you can't buy a basic MBP 2012 for less than $2100,00.
 

luiss11

macrumors member
Sep 23, 2009
33
12
No retail store yet in Puerto Rico

It makes me laugh to see that apple has so much trouble when opening stores in random countries around the world. It is going to be a pain to get employees. Puerto Rico is a U.S territory and we have many authorized apple resellers but no official apple store. It is ridiculous how apple keeps opening stores in random countries around the world and keeps ignoring Puerto Rico. The amount of apple products that are purchased here is growing every day. I don't believe this.
 

thiagos

macrumors 6502
Dec 20, 2007
371
0
NYC (Manhattan)
It makes me laugh to see that apple has so much trouble when opening stores in random countries around the world. It is going to be a pain to get employees. Puerto Rico is a U.S territory and we have many authorized apple resellers but no official apple store. It is ridiculous how apple keeps opening stores in random countries around the world and keeps ignoring Puerto Rico. The amount of apple products that are purchased here is growing every day. I don't believe this.

Luis,
Puerto Rico is too small of an island for them to target a store right now. They are not targeting random countries. They are opening stores in countries where their sales are quite high.
1. They have a factory in Brazil.
2. Brazil is fifth largest country in the world.
3. The World Cup is coming up, which means tons of tourists and sales.

If they haven't targeted Puerto Rico yet, it is for a reason.
 

Kagami190

macrumors member
Aug 1, 2013
34
19
It makes me laugh to see that apple has so much trouble when opening stores in random countries around the world. It is going to be a pain to get employees. Puerto Rico is a U.S territory and we have many authorized apple resellers but no official apple store. It is ridiculous how apple keeps opening stores in random countries around the world and keeps ignoring Puerto Rico. The amount of apple products that are purchased here is growing every day. I don't believe this.

I've been to PR and its a very small patch of land. It was pretty violent last time I visited too. Let's let it become a state and/or independant government before giving it an Apple Store. Has a little growing up to do.

As far as Brazil, I wonder how the snappy "now!" consumer culture is going to put up with an Apple Store.
 

Nevaborn

macrumors 65816
Aug 30, 2013
1,086
327
Id def relocate for a few months for work depending on covered expenses.
 

Attonine

macrumors 6502a
Feb 15, 2006
744
58
Kent. UK
I spoke to an ex-colleage in Sao Paulo this week and he told me the "made in Brazil" iPads cost the same as the imported ones. Disappointing as we had hoped the manufacture if these devices in Brazil would bring the prices down!
 

avionicsman

macrumors member
Jan 6, 2009
46
0
Canuck Land!!
The delay explains it all

Been to Rio and Brazil 9 times in the last two years. Nothing moves quick there. Glad to see them get a store though. Will it be in the same area as the New York Mall?
 

macs4nw

macrumors 601
I prefer better exchange rates than an Apple Store in Brazil. Macbooks will continue expensive. Good times when we could buy a Macbook Pro for "as cheap as" $1500,00 and even less when new models came to the market. I remember a friend buying a brand new Macbook Pro 13" 2010 for $1350,00 in mid-2011. Believe, that was a great deal. Now you can't buy a basic MBP 2012 for less than $2100,00.

Is that because of the exchange rate, or because of prohibitively high tariffs?
 

brdeveloper

macrumors 68030
Apr 21, 2010
2,626
313
Brasil
Is that because of the exchange rate, or because of prohibitively high tariffs?

Both. A base MacPro will cost USD 6000.00. If dollar exch. rate would be better, like 1.5x, we could buy the same MacPro for less than BRD 12000. Also, we cannot base the price of a product on its US retail price. That is, the base price of a MacPro is less than $3000 for retailers; the retail price includes a profit margin for retailers.

In other words, the product actually comes to Brazil customs for less than $3000.00, i.e., $2200. Add around 60% in taxes (retailers pay less than 100% when importing than us as final consumers -- other taxes are added later though). I bet a MacPro costs for the retailer around BRL 8000 with taxes. The remaining BRL 4000 is profit (around 50%). But hey, Apple IS the retailer, so it's accumulating profit as a manufacturer and as a retailer. I'd expect a 1.5x-1.6x as a fair conversion rate between Apple products in US and Brazil. Actually that was the case when I bought my Macbook and my Mini. Because of better exch. rates and lower profit margins from Apple in lower end products, I got a Mini for BRL 1800 (while at that time it was offered for BRL 1200 in US). Also I paid 2700 for my white MB while it costed BRL 1800 in US or USD 999.00, exch. rate at 1.8x).

Summary: taxes aren't the only problem. There are high profit margins and exchange rates are too high. Also, they don't have to mantain a big network of technical support and stores here as they do in US. Without taxes, I hardly believe a Mac Pro would cost less than $4000 here while it costs $3000 in US.
 
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