They were so well made that both employees and customers believed they were a real Apple Store.
For many years now, Apple’s presence in China has been very important. Furthermore, we have recently seen how they have applied different pricing policies from those of the rest of the world to continue entering the Chinese market. To boost these sales, Apple has several official Apple Stores in the country and, furthermore, smaller authorized dealers to reach secondary locations. It was precisely in those provincial capitals where a good number of Apple Stores were discovered that were not really an Apple Store.
This is what the fake Apple Stores in China were like
To know this topic in depth, we have to go to the year 2011. It was at that time when a American who lived in Kunming He traveled to the United States to see his family. Upon returning to China again, she observed how new Apple stores had opened in the city.
The decoration, the atmosphere, the tables, the products… even the employees’ uniforms and the employees themselves “worked for Apple.” The only difference is that on the sign on the door The establishment was labeled as an Apple Store, while Apple never uses that name. Only the apple logo.
According to blogger, the store in Kunming had the white Apple logo, wooden tables and staff claiming to work for Apple. However, Apple had no stores in Kunming and only 13 authorized dealers in the city, who cannot call themselves the Apple Store or claim to work for Apple.
This was a total imitation of an Apple Store, the best fake store I had ever seen. The store had sections dedicated to different Apple products, and large posters advertising the iPhone 4 and MacBook Pro.
In addition to the initial location in Kunming, more fake Apple Store stores were discovered in various locations across China. Specifically twenty-two locations in total. Although aesthetically they were similar to Apple stores, the blogger himself indicates that the stairs seemed to be poorly constructed and the walls were not painted properly. Something unbecoming of an Apple Store.
Regarding the originality of the products, everything indicates that They were original products but purchased abroad and smuggled in to avoid the country’s taxes. Apple’s response was not direct; A spokesperson in California simply suggested that consumers could visit the company’s website to locate authorized sales outlets.
Currently, Apple has 47 Apple Store in China for a population of 1,412 million people. By comparison, in the United States there are 271 Apple Stores for a population of 333 million people. The phenomenon of fake Apple Stores in China highlights the complexities of operating in such a large and diverse market. Despite the tense relationship between both countries, Apple is one of the few American companies that continues to grow in China and increase its presence.
Nowadays, it would be much more difficult for such an imitation arose. However, what has increased in recent years are the scams, especially when buying an iPhone onlineas in the case of this user who purchased an iPhone 15 Pro Max through Aliexpress.
Source | BirdAbroad
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