A report by the local Herald Economic Daily claims LG has agreed to begin selling Apple’s iPhones, iPads, and Apple Watches at its “LG Best Shops” in South Korea beginning in August.
Sales of Apple products will begin at 400 LG stores across the country. Mac computers will not be available in LG stores, since they are seen as a competitor to LG’s laptop products that are already sold in the stores.
The news is a bit of a surprise, as initial stumbling blocks had appeared to make an agreement unlikely. LG had faced stiff resistance from the National Mobile Communication Distribution Association, which viewed the proposal as a direct violation of an earlier “win-win’ competition agreement to do with the sale of mobile phones.
However, the regulatory bodies have leaned toward the belief that it is too early to judge whether LG is in violation, given its changed position in the industry.
LG Electronics, which had earlier announced its withdrawal from the smartphone business, will completely withdraw from the mobile business at the end of this month. This frees up shop space that had previously been used for marketing the handsets. Apple has been looking for a way to increase its retail presence in South Korea, leading to a deal between the two firms.