While Apple has been busy expanding in China, they've all but ignored another populous country to its north -- but according to one report, that may all change next year.
The Moscow News is reporting that Apple is planning to take matters into its own hands in Russia next year, handling direct sales to the world's largest country instead of using distributors, the method used since 1996.
According to the report, Cupertino has established "Apple Rus" and has already assigned legal advisor Vitaly Morozko as its director general. Direct sales could begin in 2013, but it may be some time before Russia gets its first Apple retail store.
Apple retail executives headed to Moscow more than a year ago in search of the perfect location for its premiere store in the country, but the report claims the iPhone maker left empty-handed.
Cupertino currently uses diHouse for distributing the majority of its products in Russia, while the iPhone is offered through MTS and Vimpelcom. The report notes that diHouse will likely continue offering Apple products regionally, while Apple Rus will focus on the larger populations in Moscow and St. Petersburg, and possibly sell iPhones directly as well.
One thing unlikely to change are the prices for Apple products in the country, particularly for the iPhone, which costs upward of $1,000 USD in Russia.
“The only thing that can change for the better for the consumer is that there will be a smaller delay between announcing a new Apple gadget, and its appearance on the Russian market," explains Lyudmila Semushina, a spokeswoman for the Re:Store Retail Group. "But we are not the first place in this market. For Apple there are three major markets: U.S.A., Europe, China, who buy many times more than Russia."
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