<Tr> <Th> Parent </Th> <Td> Apple Inc . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Website </Th> <Td> www.apple.com/retail </Td> </Tr> <P> Apple Store is a chain of retail stores owned and operated by Apple Inc . The stores sell Mac personal computers, iPhone smartphones, iPad tablet computers, iPod portable media players, Apple Watch smartwatches, Apple TV digital media players, software, and select third - party accessories . </P> <P> The first Apple Stores were originally opened as two locations in May 2001 by then - CEO Steve Jobs, after years of attempting but failing store - within - a-store concepts . Seeing a need for improved retail presentation of the company's products, he began an effort in 1997 to revamp the retail program to get an improved relationship to consumers, and hired Ron Johnson in 2000 . Jobs relaunched Apple's online store in 1997, and opened the first two physical stores in 2001 . Despite initial media speculation that Apple would fail, its stores were highly successful, by passing the sales numbers of competing nearby stores and with in three years reached US $1 billion in annual sales, becoming the fastest retailer in history to do so . Over the years, Apple has expanded the number of retail locations and its geographical coverage, with 499 stores across 22 countries worldwide as of December 2017 . Strong product sales have placed Apple among the top - tier retail stores, with sales over $16 billion globally in 2011 . </P>

Where are apple products sold around the world