There are more than a billion people in China – making it just about the largest local market for anyone to break into if they want to seriously be a global player. We do know that the previous version of the iPhone did come about in a rather different package in China compared to what the rest of the world received, and it is nice to know that Apple intends to roll out their iPhone 5 in China as well. To make sure that market demand for this next generation iPhone is boosted, the Cupertino-based company will be introducing two new stores in Shanghai and Hong Kong – with the latter happening in September 24th.
At the moment, the flagship Apple Store remains in the heart of the country’s financial district, which is in line with Apple’s policy of opening retail stores in affluent areas (after all, you don’t expect a peasant to carry around an iPhone when there are clearly better (cheaper) options out there, no?).
Do you think that opening up two more Apple Stores in China will actually increase the demand for the iPhone 5? I think the handset is already popular enough on its own to sell itself without any additional help.
Filed in . Read more about Apple Inc, Apple Store and China.