Apple starts hiring for ninth Japanese store, based in Kyoto
Apple is preparing to launch a new store in Kyoto, Japan, newly-published job listings reveal -- just its ninth in the entire country, despite a years-long presence there.
The company is currently recruiting management, clerks, and behind-the-scene workers, Macotakara noted. Kyoto is smaller than some other Japanese cities, but is also the country's former capital and has many tourist attractions, such as shrines, temples, and Imperial structures.
Apple's Japanese retail presence is largely centered in Tokyo, where there are three full stores and a special Apple Watch outlet. Remaining outlets are scattered between Aichi, Fukuoka, Miyagi and Osaka.
It's not yet clear where in Kyoto the new shop will be built, or when it might open. Apple typically prefers to build in luxury shopping districts however, and time its openings to fall iPhone launches or at least holiday shopping. New iPhones could ship as soon as September, though the "iPhone 8" may arrive as late as October.
Apple is rapidly approaching the 500-store mark. Indeed Kyoto may be in a position to become the 500th, depending on how fast other locations come to fruition.
The company is currently recruiting management, clerks, and behind-the-scene workers, Macotakara noted. Kyoto is smaller than some other Japanese cities, but is also the country's former capital and has many tourist attractions, such as shrines, temples, and Imperial structures.
Apple's Japanese retail presence is largely centered in Tokyo, where there are three full stores and a special Apple Watch outlet. Remaining outlets are scattered between Aichi, Fukuoka, Miyagi and Osaka.
It's not yet clear where in Kyoto the new shop will be built, or when it might open. Apple typically prefers to build in luxury shopping districts however, and time its openings to fall iPhone launches or at least holiday shopping. New iPhones could ship as soon as September, though the "iPhone 8" may arrive as late as October.
Apple is rapidly approaching the 500-store mark. Indeed Kyoto may be in a position to become the 500th, depending on how fast other locations come to fruition.
Comments
That's because WS, and those that don't get it, are focused on the wrong metric of success.
Before Apple it was expected that competitors made about the same profit per unit sold. In that scenario market share was important because more units sold translated to more profit.
NOBODY MAKES THE SAME PROFIT PER UNIT SOLD AS DOES APPLE.
Which takes me to something I was told by a very smart man. "There are only 10 reasons to be in business: the first is to make a profit, the rest don't count."
Apple controls 85% of industry profit with only 12% worldwide market share. If we normalized Apple's product to what its competitors make per unit, then Apple is selling 6X as many virtual units as they report. Twelve percent unit market share then becomes 72% unit market share.
Unfortunately, WS isn't trained to think in this manner, and the media are just stupid, always looking for the easy (to understand) compare.
Me? I'd rather own the business that quickly grows to the point where it owns all the profits in its markets and then continues to take that high level of profit every year thereafter. But the market wants to see steady growth, even if that means it gets 30% growth each year for ten years to finally achieve the level of profits Apple achieved after just a few years and continued to garner for every year thereafter. Sum up the ten year profits and tell me which you'd prefer.
Japan is one country I really want to visit. Not the least of it being because my favourite director is Kurosawa...
His movies didn't die with him. I have all 30 of them.