Apple boosts China presence

Stephen Withers
Tuesday, 22 April 2008 10:07

Opinion and Analysis

Apple has opened its first store-in-a-store in China, though its products already seem easy enough to find in shopping areas.

According to ChinaTechNews, Apple's first store-in-a-store has opened within Best Buy in the Xuhui district of Shanghai.

One of the things I noticed while walking around Shanghai's Nanjing Road shopping area last week was that there seemed to be no shortage of Apple resellers. If anything, it seemed easier to buy an iMac or iPod than equivalents from any other specific brand.

Furthermore, apart from the absence of the genius bar, the overall experience of some of these stores seemed very similar to the smaller Apple Stores that I have visited in the US, though they couldn't hold a candle to the flagship stores such as the one in San Francisco.

What really surprised me was that prices seemed broadly comparable with those in Australia. I didn't bother to memorise the price list before I left, but one of my companions came to the same conclusion. Given that most Apple products are made in China, I'd expected them to be noticeably cheaper.

Old hands will probably tell me you need to venture out of the central business district to get the best deals - if you want to recommend particular places for the benefit of others shopping for tech gear in Shanghai, please leave a comment.

ChinaTechNews previously reported that the first Apple Store in China will open in the Sanlitun area of Beijing during the Olympic Games.