AppleInsider Staff
Apple on Wednesday announced an expansion to its retail operations in mainland China, offering customers the option of placing an order online and picking it up at a brick-and-mortar Apple Store location.
Available for more than a decade in the U.S., Apple's in-store pickup program streamlines the purchase process by allowing customers to shop online and take receipt of their order at a nearby Apple Store.
In mainland China, buyers can now place orders through apple.com.cn and select "pick up" at checkout. Product availability can be checked by selecting one of Apple's 42 outlets in the region, and Apple says many products and accessories will be in stock.
Items marked as "available today" are typically available within an hour after payment, and customers are notified when their order is ready for pickup. Alternatively, buyers can schedule a pickup time for faster service.
Once at the store, customers are required to furnish their order confirmation and a valid government-issued photo ID.
The new retail choice arrives as Apple and other companies ease back into normality following COVID-19 prohibitions. Apple has instituted precautions like limiting the number of visitors to its stores.
Apple's in-store pickup option first debuted in 2009, but was restricted to select products like iPhone and Mac. The system later expanded to include all items sold at Apple Store locations.
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Malcolm Owen
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7 Comments
As someone who lives in the destroyed Hong Kong, Apple should be divesting from China… not increasing their presence.
It’s only a question of time before they are banned.
" Once at the store, customers are required to furnish their order confirmation and a valid government-issued photo ID."
Are they also required to sign an agreement stating they are fully aware that they won't have access to thousands of apps they may have seen online, including a proper VPN, nor "private relay", and that their data in iCloud might be accessed by the Chinese government at any time?