Apple Inc. (AAPL) Opens First Apple Store in Latin America, CEO Tim Cook Tweets 'Obrigado' to Brazilian Consumers

By Michael Oleaga First Posted: Feb 19, 2014 12:13 AM EST

Apple Inc.'s presence in Latin America has made a monumental step as the company's first retail store opened.

More than 1,700 people traveled to Brazil's Village Mall in Rio de Janeiro for Latin America's first Apple Store.

The store opened its doors on Feb. 15 in the Barra de Tijuca neighborhood, but people began to line up outside the Apple Store during the previous night. Approximately 160 people stayed overnight outside the first Latin American Apple Store's big day, according to Brazilian newspaper The Globe, while Apple projected almost 1,500 to attend the occasion.

Apple CEO Tim Cook celebrated the occasion by tweeting a message following the store's launch.

Cook tweeted, "'Obrigado' to everyone who visited our new store in Rio de Janeiro today and to our terrific customers across Brazil!"

The Apple CEO's tweet was accompanied with an image featuring customers inside the Apple Store next to employees. As Apple Insider noted, Cook's tweet marked the first time the Apple executive used social media to celebrate a new store's opening.

'Obrigado' to everyone who visited our new store in Rio de Janeiro today and to our terrific customers across Brazil! pic.twitter.com/3nFPxN4m3Y

— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) February 15, 2014

As Latin Post reported, Latin Americans owning smartphones have impacted sales during 2013. According to information technology research and advisory company Gartner, the fourth quarter of 2013, notably, proved major for Latin America as the region was touted as having the strongest growth of all regions including the Asia and Pacific block, Africa and the Middle East, and Eastern Europe. Latin America's smartphone sales growth peaked at 96.1 percent during 2013's fourth quarter.

Brazil has been recognized for its growing population mixed with a fast-developing economy and expanding middle class. Brazil has also been acknowledged as an important market for Apple along with China.

It isn't all positive for Apple in Brazil as the Latin American country has been documented to have high import taxes. For example, Apple products cost almost twice as much than in the United States (U.S.) such as a contract-free 16GB iPhone 5s that's priced approximately $1,200 in Brazil while it's $649 in the U.S.

The unveiling of the Brazilian Apple Store comes five years after the iPhone company launched its online store.