iPhone buyers in China can now purchase Apple devices on WeChat, a messaging platform

WeChat, a popular messaging app in China, announced that Apple has opened a store on its platform. This means that users of WeChat will now be able to purchase Apple products such as iPhones, iPads, and Macs directly from the store. Apple's decision to join WeChat's social media platform is an expansion of its retail channels in China, the world's second-largest economy.

WeChat is known for its messaging features, but it also offers e-commerce, livestreaming, and payment services. This move by Apple comes as Chinese consumers increasingly use social media platforms like WeChat and Douyin (the Chinese version of TikTok) for shopping.

In addition to this new WeChat store, Apple already operates a shop on Alibaba Group's Tmall online marketplace. Furthermore, in May, Apple tried marketing its products through a livestream in China for the first time.

Chinese smartphone sales in the first quarter of the year decreased by 5 per cent compared to the previous year, which is the lowest first-quarter sales figure since 2014, according to Counterpoint Research. However, during this period, Apple managed to achieve a 19.9 per cent share of the Chinese smartphone market, its largest share since 2014. Apple's sales increased by 6 per cent compared to the previous year, even in a declining market, according to the research firm.

(with inputs from Reuters)

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