Mr. Jonathan Hạnh Nguyễn closes his Apple store.

eDigi, the highest-standard Apple reseller in Vietnam owned by Jonathan Hạnh Nguyễn, has ceased operations after nearly 5 years.

This information was just announced today by eDigi. IPPG, a company owned by Mr. Jonathan Hạnh Nguyễn, has been distributing Apple products since September 2018. At that time, this was considered the opening move for this luxury goods tycoon to venture into the technology business.

The 250 m2 eDigi store is located in one of the most prime locations in Ho Chi Minh City, on Cong Xa Paris Street, District 1, next to the Ho Chi Minh City Post Office . It is one of the few authorized dealers in Vietnam that meets the highest standards of the American technology company: Apple Premium Reseller (APR) and Apple Service Provider (ASP).

Compared to Apple Authorized Reseller (AAR) – a standard many retailers in Vietnam already possess – APR stores must meet higher requirements from Apple regarding size, location, layout, service quality, and staff. Besides eDigi, the Vietnamese market currently also has TopZone of The Gioi Dien Dong and F.Studio ofFPT Shop that operate according to APR standards.

On May 17th, Mr. Johnathan Hạnh Nguyễn told VnExpress that the decision to close the eDigi store was due to the negative developments in the retail market for technology devices, declining demand, and increasingly low sales.

Furthermore, according to this businessman, eDigi cannot compete with Apple products imported from abroad at lower prices. "We have to sell at the price specified by the supplier and bear many more costs and taxes, so we suffer significant losses from imported goods," Mr. Hanh Nguyen explained.

Having withdrawn from the technology retail sector, he said that in the future, IPPG will continue to focus on its three core areas where it has the greatest strengths: fashion , airport services, and F&B.

eDigi's announcement of closure comes just one day before Apple opens its online store in Vietnam on May 18th. The online Apple Store will sell the full range of genuine Apple products in the country, including hardware, accessories, and services, starting next week. Users can also utilize personalization services such as engraving names on devices and enjoy free home delivery.

Recently, after a period of rapid growth, Apple retailers in Vietnam are facing a situation of oversupply. This has forced some major players to sacrifice profit margins in order to compete on price.

Previously, iPhone prices at major brands were often several million dong more expensive than those of smaller competitors. However, recently, this gap has narrowed, and at times, the price of the iPhone 14 Pro Max at major retailers has even been cheaper after deducting promotional offers.

Anh Tú - Lưu Quý

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