蘋果在中國致富。其他亞洲市場提供下一個「黃金機會」。| CNN商業

Apple got rich in China. Other Asian markets offer the next 'golden opportunity' | CNN Business 蘋果在中國致富。其他亞洲市場提供下一個「黃金機會」。| CNN商業

Apple opening its first retail stores in India 蘋果公司在印度開設了第一家零售店。

Hong KongCNN  —  香港CNN —

Apple launched an online store in Vietnam this week, in another nod to the growing importance of emerging markets for the iPhone maker. 蘋果本週在越南推出了一家線上商店，這是對於新興市場對於 iPhone 製造商日益重要的又一個肯定。

The opening on Thursday, which followed the high-profile launch of its first physical shops in India, means consumers in the fast-growing Southeast Asian economy will be able to buy any Apple product directly for the first time. 週四的開幕式是在印度首次開設實體店之後進行的，這意味著快速增長的東南亞經濟體中的消費者將首次能夠直接購買任何蘋果產品。

Markets like Vietnam, India and Indonesia are becoming more important for Apple as its growth in developed markets, including China, slows down, prompting the company to focus on places where it’s traditionally been less active. 隨著蘋果在包括中國在內的發達市場增長放緩，越南、印度和印尼等市場對蘋果變得越來越重要，促使該公司專注於傳統上活躍度較低的地區。

For decades, China was central to Apple’s extraordinary ascent to become the most valuable company on Earth, serving as a backbone for both its production and consumption. While the country remains key to Apple’s operations, the tech giant is now hedging its bets. 數十年來，中國對於蘋果公司的非凡崛起至關重要，成為地球上最有價值的公司，為其生產和消費提供了支撐。雖然中國仍然是蘋果公司業務的關鍵所在，但這家科技巨頭現在正在分散風險。

Apple (AAPL) CEO Tim Cook has pointed to the company’s prospects in emerging economies, calling them bright spots in the company’s financial results. On an earnings call this month, Cook said he was “particularly pleased” with the performance in these markets during the first three months of the year. 蘋果（AAPL）CEO蒂姆·庫克指出，新興經濟體是公司財務業績的亮點。在本月的盈利電話會議上，庫克表示，他對公司在這些市場在今年前三個月的表現“特別滿意”。

Apple “achieved all-time records in Mexico, Indonesia, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the UAE, as well as a number of March quarter records, including in Brazil, Malaysia and India,” he told analysts. 他告訴分析師，蘋果在墨西哥、印尼、菲律賓、沙烏地阿拉伯、土耳其和阿聯酋實現了歷史新高，以及在巴西、馬來西亞和印度等地實現了一些三月季度的紀錄。

That came as the California-based giant also reported its second straight drop in overall quarterly revenue, prompting concerns about a broader slowdown in demand amid economic uncertainty. 這也伴隨著這家總部位於加州的巨頭報告了連續第二個季度的總體收入下降，引發了對於經濟不確定性中需求整體減緩的擔憂。

“Clearly, growth has slowed globally and thus put more pressure [on Apple] to aggressively go after emerging markets,” said Daniel Ives, managing director of Wedbush Securities. 「顯然地，全球增長已經放緩，因此更加施加了（對蘋果公司）積極開拓新興市場的壓力。」Wedbush Securities的董事總經理丹尼爾·艾夫斯（Daniel Ives）表示。

Ives predicts that “over the coming years, Indonesia, Malaysia and India will comprise a bigger piece of the pie for Apple, given its efforts in these countries.” 艾夫斯預測：「在未來幾年，印尼、馬來西亞和印度將成為蘋果公司更大的市場，因為蘋果正在這些國家加強努力。」

The start of online sales in a country usually precedes the launch of brick-and-mortar stores for Apple, he told CNN. This was true of India, for instance, which got its first physical outlets last month and a pledge from Cook to further invest in the country. 他告訴CNN，一個國家的線上銷售開始通常會先於蘋果的實體店面推出。例如，印度就是如此，上個月開設了第一家實體店，並得到了庫克進一步投資該國的承諾。

Thursday’s launch showed how Apple was “further cementing” its presence in emerging markets, according to Chiew Le Xuan, a research analyst who covers smartphones in Southeast Asia for Canalys. 根據Canalys為東南亞智慧手機提供報導的研究分析師Chiew Le Xuan所說，週四的發布顯示蘋果正在「進一步鞏固」其在新興市場的存在。

He said the tech giant had been “actively increasing” its presence in the region in recent months, ramping up its distribution and network of authorized resellers, especially in Malaysia. 他說這家科技巨頭最近幾個月一直在「積極增加」其在該地區的存在感，加強了其授權經銷商的分佈和網絡，尤其是在馬來西亞。

Apple has ample room to run in these markets. 蘋果在這些市場中有充足的發展空間。

Currently, the company only operates its own stores in more developed regional economies, such as Thailand and Singapore, according to Canalys. 根據Canalys的報告，目前該公司僅在發達的地區經濟體，如泰國和新加坡經營自己的商店。

Even Indonesia, a vast archipelago that is the world’s sixth-biggest smartphone market, doesn’t have a physical Apple store yet, said Chiew. Apple’s market share there is tiny, at just 1% in 2022, according to Canalys data. 即使是印度尼西亞，這個世界第六大智慧型手機市場的廣大群島，也還沒有蘋果公司的實體店，Chiew 說。根據 Canalys 的數據，蘋果在印度尼西亞的市場份額很小，僅為 2022 年的 1%。

“We’re putting efforts in a number of these markets and really see, particularly given our low share and the dynamics of the demographics … a great opportunity for us,” Cook said during Apple’s results call. 在蘋果公司的業績電話會議上，庫克表示：“我們正在這些市場投入努力，特別是考慮到我們低的市場份額和人口結構的動態...我們看到了一個巨大的機會。”

Apple joins a growing list of global businesses that have become bullish on Southeast Asia, where more investment is being poured into manufacturing. 蘋果加入了一長串對東南亞充滿信心的全球企業之列，該地區的製造業正吸引著更多的投資。

The region’s consumer base also holds promise, with the number of middle-income and affluent households in economies such as Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Philippines projected to grow by around 5% annually through 2030, according to the Boston Consulting Group. 根據波士頓諮詢公司的報告，越南、印尼和菲律賓等經濟體中，中等收入和富裕家庭的數量預計每年增長約5％，該地區的消費者基礎也具有潛力。預計這種趨勢會持續到2030年。

The consultancy has called this group of consumers “the next mega-market.” 這家諮詢公司稱這群消費者為「下一個超級市場」。

The allure of Southeast Asia’s rising middle class “has changed the dynamic in these countries, which previously Apple stayed away from,” according to Ives. 根據艾夫斯的說法，東南亞崛起的中產階級的吸引力“改變了這些國家的動態，而蘋果此前一直避開這些國家”。

“This is a golden opportunity for Apple,” he said. 他說：“這對蘋果來說是一個黃金機會。”

For years, premium brands like Apple have have struggled to compete in emerging markets because of the price of their products, choosing instead to rely on local resellers. 多年來，像蘋果這樣的高端品牌一直因其產品價格而在新興市場上競爭困難，因此選擇依賴當地經銷商。

iPhones, which cost between $470 and $1,100, are expensive for consumers in less developed Southeast Asian economies, where the bulk of smartphone shipments are priced under $200, according to Chiew. 據Chiew所說，iPhone的價格在470美元至1,100美元之間，對於東南亞較不發達的經濟體的消費者來說是昂貴的，該地區大部分智能手機的出貨價格都在200美元以下。

He said Apple’s absence from places like Cambodia or Vietnam was typically more apparent around the launch of a new iPhone, as buyers from those countries often flew to Singapore or Malaysia to purchase devices and take them back for resale. 他說蘋果公司在柬埔寨或越南等地缺席，通常在新 iPhone 推出時更加明顯，因為這些國家的買家經常飛往新加坡或馬來西亞購買設備並帶回轉售。

This could change in the coming years, particularly as Apple continues to increase its firepower in the region. 這在未來幾年可能會改變，特別是隨著蘋果在該地區不斷增強實力。

Ives predicted that Apple could “further expand its ecosystem and tentacles to emerging markets using its China playbook,” meaning it could try to hook customers through “various pricing strategies and building out from there.” 艾夫斯預測蘋果可以使用其「中國策略」進一步擴大其生態系統和觸角，進入新興市場，透過「各種價格策略和由此擴展」來吸引客戶。

Once those users have converted to Apple’s operating system, iOS, they tend to stick around and become loyal customers, he added. 一旦這些用戶轉換到蘋果的操作系統iOS，他們往往會留下來成為忠實的客戶，他補充道。

This has “been the core part of its success in China that now can be replicated in India, Indonesia, and Vietnam, among others,” said Ives. 艾夫斯表示：“這一點一直是其在中國成功的核心部分，現在可以在印度、印尼和越南等地複製。”

But Apple may face hurdles in Southeast Asia, where several countries have placed stringent requirements on foreign businesses, according to Chiew. 但蘋果可能會在東南亞遇到障礙，因為一些國家對外國企業設立了嚴格的要求，根據Chiew的說法。

For example, at least 35% of the components of electronic goods sold in Indonesia must made locally, a threshold Apple has had to meet by working with partners, he added. Similar rules prevented Apple from setting up shop in India for years until the relaxation of regulations in 2019. 例如，印度尼西亞出售的電子商品至少35％的零件必須在當地製造，蘋果公司必須通過與合作夥伴合作來滿足此門檻。他補充說，類似的規定阻礙了蘋果公司在印度開設店鋪，直到2019年法規放寬。

And while consumers are becoming more affluent, the company’s price points are still considered high in many emerging markets, noted Ives. “Growth will be choppy we believe.” 當消費者變得更加富裕時，公司的價格仍然被許多新興市場認為是高昂的，Ives指出。“我們認為增長將是不穩定的。”

新聞來源: CNN (#國際新聞)

原文網址:

https://edition.cnn.com/2023/05/19/tech/apple-southeast-asia-india-opportunity-intl-hnk/index.html