In January 2013, despite Apple's annual phone shipments reaching 130 million units—a year-over-year increase of over 90%—the company was not having an easy time.
For one, it had been surpassed by ExxonMobil, losing its title as the 'world's largest company by market cap.'
For another, iPhone 5 sales failed to meet expectations, and Mac sales in Q4 had dropped by one million units compared to the same period the previous year.
And finally, iOS's market share was constantly being eroded by Android, while its supply of processors and other components was highly dependent on Mountain Star.
For these reasons, Ge Yue, the Managing Director of Apple's Asian Region, had no choice but to swallow her pride and meet with Ah Li's Ma Liyun to discuss joining Tmall Mall. She hoped to leverage special brand sales channels like FoxTao and Juhuasuan to find new avenues for growth for Apple.
