Tencent’s WeChat, has disclosed that Apple, the maker of the iPhone, has created a store on expanding the American company’s retail options in the second-largest economy in the world.
WeChat, the most popular messaging app in China that also offers e-commerce, livestreaming, and payment services, announced that customers would be able to purchase Apple items from the store, including iPhones, iPads, and Macs.
Apple’s move comes as Chinese consumers increasingly use social media sites like WeChat and ByteDance’s Douyin, which is TikTok’s Chinese equivalent, to shop.
Apple currently runs a store on Alibaba Group’s Tmall online marketplace in addition to its locations and website.
In May, Apple attempted to advertise its products in China for the first time via a livestream of an hour-long performance.
According to data from Counterpoint Research, China’s smartphone sales in the first quarter decreased 5% year over year, which was the lowest first-quarter sales total for the nation since 2014.
