The store, which has been shrouded in secrecy for the better part of its developmental process, is due to turn up on Qianmen Street, a historic half-mile long avenue at the south end of Tiananmen Square that is undergoing an extensive $40 million renovation.
According to ifoAppleStore, construction is underway to improve the utilities, repave the street with green and white marble, restore building façades to their 1920-1930 appearance, re-introduce a tram and rebuild the existing Opera House.
"When the street re-opens in May, it will be the second pedestrian-only shopping street in the city, and will feature 300 shops filling over 800,000 square-feet, including several international retailers such as Starbucks and Adidas," ifo said in its report.
Apple's store, which is due to launch ahead of the August 8th Olympic opening ceremonies, will reportedly blend in with the existing Chinese architecture rather than sport the company's traditional glass, black and stainless steel facade.
Decorative flower garden in Tiananmen Square depicting various Olympic sports.
The Beijing store is expected to be just the first of several to arrive in China over the next several years, as Apple seeks to rapidly expand its presence in the region through the launch of products such as the iPhone.
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Apple Inc. will flaunt its surging brand before the estimated three million visitors who will flock to Beijing, China for this Summer's Olympic with the launch of a large retail store near the center of the capital city.
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Decorative flower garden in Tiananmen Square depicting various Olympic sports.
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The Beijing store is expected to be just the first of several to arrive in China over the next several years, as Apple seeks to rapidly expand its presence in the region through the launch of products such as the iPhone.
How about satisfying the quite wealthy 250 Million CONTINENTAL EUROPEAN clients ? In Europe ?
And I am sure that Tianamen Square looks fine these days - after all the bloodshed. Funny how quick people forget.
How about satisfying the quite wealthy 250 Million CONTINENTAL EUROPEAN clients ? In Europe ?
And I am sure that Tianamen Square looks fine these days - after all the bloodshed. Funny how quick people forget.
Apple has rather questionable marketing sense when it comes to some things...and fantastic marketing abilities when it actually gets its act together and goes after a segment. Europe is a fantastic market for high-end electronics...why isn't Apple pushing there? Your guess is as good as mind...personally, I'm going to go with ineptitude... After all, even Apple has its fair share of nitwits.
And I am sure that Tianamen Square looks fine these days - after all the bloodshed. Funny how quick people forget.
Oh and Europe has never had a drop of blood on its hands .. come on people.
Oh and Europe has never had a drop of blood on its hands .. come on people.
Yes it did - but for quite some time exercising your fundamental human rights is not a guaranteed way into prison.
I agree that Beijing is a very nice flag on the map "Where we have shops" and I am sure that 1.x bln people can constitute a very significant market. But pls step aside from the MBA logic "Must go to China" ! Look at per capita earnings. Berlin, Germany - no Apple store. Paris, France - no Apple store, Madrid, Spain - no Apple store, Barcelona, Spain - no Apple store, Hamburg, Germany - no Apple store, the list could go on.
And what about that other "significant" market with 1.x bln customers ? Stable democracy, Human rights respected, free market economy, western judiciary system, speaks good english, seems to be quite good with computers...India. Well - you guessed - no Apple store.
Come on you ppl from Wharton and Co. : use Google Maps to discover other areas of the world then the one it says on the back of most products,
Apple has rather questionable marketing sense when it comes to some things...and fantastic marketing abilities when it actually gets its act together and goes after a segment. Europe is a fantastic market for high-end electronics...why isn't Apple pushing there? Your guess is as good as mind...personally, I'm going to go with ineptitude... After all, even Apple has its fair share of nitwits.
I agree, but if they planned this to beat the games, then this really would be a major marketing win. Nearly every country is giong to be represented at the games with atheletes and tourists.
Also, China's middle class is sizeable and growing, they're probably the biggest single untapped market for Apple right now in terms of the number of people that can afford an Apple product.