Apple reportedly registers company for direct sales in Russia

PanARMENIAN.Net - Apple plans to sell its products in Russia without the help of middlemen, bringing down the price of its trendy devices.

As Moscow Times reports citing Kommersant business daily, Apple has registered a company Apple Rus and assigned Vitaly Morozko, the corporation’s local legal advisor, as its director general, reported.

In spring 2011, when Apple top managers travelled to Moscow, they were looking for premises for Apple Store, but did not find anything suitable.

According to an unnamed manager of an Apple distributor, the company could start direct sales in Russia in 2013, but it is unclear when first Apple Stores will open.

“Samsung and Sony have been working on direct contracts for a long time. If Apple joins them, the prices will be more affordable and the market more civilized,” said Bely Veter Tsifrovoi director general Danila Vaskevich.

Apple products in Russia were distributed by the ECS company in 1996-2007. Since 2007, Apple opened an official branch in Russia that conducted its marketing activities. In 2008, they signed with its first official computer distributor – diHouse.

In November 2009, Apple acquired a new distributor in Russia – the Marvel company, and by May 2012 a third one had appeared – OSC. However, 75 percent of all Apple products are still distributed through diHouse. iPhone in Russia is distributed by Vimpelcom and MTS.

Apple Rus is likely to focus on distributing the equipment to Moscow and St. Petersburg retail networks, while the other three distributers will deal with the regions, a source told Kommersant.

Apple Rus could also sell iPhones, as Apple is unhappy with Vimpelcom and MTS, who want the phones to be sold in their shops and are not as interested in the wider market.