Out of Apple’s USD 51.5 million total revenue, USD 12.5 billion came from Greater China, including Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau, according to Apple’s report of the last quarter of 2015. The company’s earnings in China take up nearly a quarter of its total earnings, overtaking Europe for the first time and making it the second largest market next to the US. Apple’s rising revenue in China has quickly boosted the number of Apples stores in the country.
Apple’s CEO Tim Cook said publicly that the company is on track to have 40 stores open in China by mid-2016. By now, there are altogether 29 retail stores in Greater China. Apple is rumored to be planning for more stores in Chinese coastal cities including Xiamen, Qingdao, Guangzhou and Macau. It seems that Cook is on track to reach his goal.
Now, follow AllChinaTech on a quick tour of the most striking Apple Stores in China.
1. Sanlitun, Beijing
Opened in 2008, this is the first apple store in Beijing and Greater China. It’s located in the very heart of the Sanlitun entertainment district in Beijing. Since the fifth store was opened in November in Chaoyang District’s Joy City, Beijing is now home to the most Apple Stores in Asia.
2. Wangfujing, Beijing
Launched in 2012, this store with its iconic three-story glass spiral staircases is the third store in Beijing and the sixth in China. It is located on Wangfujing Street, one of Beijing’s most photographed outdoor pedestrian shopping districts with a history of more than 700 years.
3. Pudong, Shanghai
This is the first Apple store in Shanghai, which opened its doors in 2010 in the Pudong commercial district. It was the second Apple store in China. Its cylindrical glass entrance sits in the middle of a sunken stone courtyard, where a spiral staircase leads down to the store below. This glass cylinder can easily join the nearby Oriental Pearl Tower on the list of Shanghai’s must-see landmarks.
4. IFC mall, Hong Kong
The first Apple flagship store in Hong Kong, which opened in 2011, is located in the International Finance Center, a high-end shopping and entertainment complex. It is equipped with the signature oversized Apple logo and glass spiral staircases. What’s unusual about the design of this store is that the two-story building is suspended over a busy roadway. Overlooking the road from inside through the glass windows, the store is surrounded by the breathtaking cityscape. The store added a third floor in late December to embrace more of its fans.
5. Jiefangbei, Chongqing
As a leading city in Southwestern China, Chongqing would definitely not be neglected by Apple. With three locations, it’s the city with the fourth most apple stores in China, after Beijing, Hong Kong and Shanghai. There’s one that’s well worth mentioning. Located in Jiefangbei Square, this store is a clone of Shanghai’s store design- a glass cylindrical tower. However, it’s nowhere as stunning as the one in Shanghai, without architecturally trend-setting buildings as its background.
6. West Lake, Hangzhou
The West Lake store was launched in 2015 with a mural by famed calligrapher Wang Dongling. It is promoted as the largest Apple store in Asia. This rectangular design is a combination of simplicity and technical renovation, like the Apple products stored inside. The photo of this store now pops up as one of the cover images on Apple’s retail store list website.
7. Taikoo Li, Chengdu
Looks familiar? Yes, this store in Chengdu, another major city in the Southwest of China, resembles the one we’ve just seen. This store was opened in November 2015, less than one month after the grand opening of Apple’s 25th store in Dalian. It is located in the upscale Taikoo Li shopping plaza, accompanied by high-end retailers such as Gucci and Omega.
8. Canton Road, Hong Kong
This new three-story store is located on Canton Road in Tsim Sha Tsui, one of Hong Kong’s busiest neighborhoods. Opened in July 2015, it joins the Causeway Bay, Festival Walk and IFC locations as the fourth store in Hong Kong. As a shopping oasis, Hong Kong attracts tens of millions of mainland shoppers every year. No wonder there aren’t any Apple stores in nearby Guangzhou and only one in Hong Kong’s neighbor Shenzhen.
