Right now, Apple has only one official retail store located in Shenzhen, and only five authorized retailers in the area. But you don’t have to look hard to find a multitude of other locations selling Apple’s products.
A report published recently by Reuters highlights a booming industry in the Shenzhen shopping corridor, which stretches roughly 1km, which is that of fake Apple stores popping up to sell genuine Apple products. Some of these stores, which are outfitted with employees wearing the traditional blue shirts, and walking amongst iPads and Apple Watches, have opened up within two weeks — just in time to sell the iPhone 6s andiPhone 6s Plus, which are set to launch on Friday, September 25.
As one clerk at an unauthorized store points out, there are many people in China that are willing to pay just to get their hands on an Apple product, especially a new one. While these stores are handing out pre-orders, many of them aren’t afraid to say that they’ll have stock available on September 25 for the launch, too.
“There are many Apple fans in China,” said a clerk surnamed Zhao at one of the unauthorized dealers that opened just two weeks ago. “There are many silly people in China who are willing to pay extra money just to get a new iPhone ahead of everyone else.”
The store clerks aren’t shy about where they get the Apple products, either, saying that they’re buying iPhones from the Chinese market, as well as through overseas stores, and then smuggling them into the stores for resale. This year is particularly tough for the “sharks,” too, as Apple is locking down on walk-in sales in China (and in some states in the United States, as well as Japan), in an effort to keep scalpers away from the new devices. In those aforementioned areas, sales of the new iPhones will only go to those who pre-ordered — from a legitimate Apple store.
It’s worth noting that many of the stores aren’t selling genuine Apple products, either. Some of the stores have iPhone 6s models on sale right now, including retail packaging that looks strikingly similar to Apple’s real thing. These stores are interspersed with the locations that are selling genuine products, so for some customers the difference might be hard, if not impossible to spot.
But it might not last forever, this lucrative business in copying Apple. Some in the area have already indicated that the corridor is becoming overstuffed with Apple copycats, and, eventually, if not soon, some will have to shut down. Still, some analysts believe these copycat stores are actually doing Apple a favor by providing even more brand awareness, something that Apple would probably argue to a certain extent.
[via Reuters]
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