HCMC – U.S. technology giant Apple Inc will open an online store, the first of its kind, in Vietnam, on May 18 to boost sales growth in emerging markets amid slowing sales in China.

The Apple Store will offer the full line of hardware, accessories and services, especially shipping and personalized services. Vietnamese customers can buy iPhones, iPads, MacBooks and other devices on the website apple.com/vn with a Vietnamese interface from May 18.

“We’re proud to be expanding in Vietnam,” said Deirdre O’Brien, Apple’s senior vice president of retail.

This move comes after the company recently launched its first Apple stores in India’s Mumbai and Delhi to boost sales in new markets.

Apple sells products in Vietnam through licensed vendors and already has several partners that assemble its gadgets in Vietnam for export.

Experts believe that Apple’s first online store in Vietnam is a stepping stone to the opening of physical stores in the country.

Currently, Singapore and Thailand are the only two Southeast Asian countries where Apple has brick-and-mortar stores.