Apple retail invades China this weekend (photos)

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Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
Ahead of the summer Olympics, Apple on Saturday will open the doors to its first retail store in China, a glass-enclosed high-profile shop situated in Beijing's newest retail development: the Village at Sanlitun.



Keeping with his tradition of attending Apple's gala international retail launches, our friend Gary Allen from ifoAppleStore has made the grueling journey across the Pacific to be on hand for tomorrow's grand opening at 10:00 a.m.



Allen reports that Apple's space within the Sanlitun complex "is nearly invisible from the street," because it sits within the center's inner courtyard. "But once you see it, it’s impressive -- a three-story glass façade covering two visible floors, and a level covered with stainless steel."



A large overpass reportedly caps off the store, funneling patrons to and from other portions of the shopping center. The overpass itself is covered with stainless steel and punctuated with a back-lit Apple logo near center mass.



Inside, customers will find the usually array of Mac and iPod products, as well as a sprawling Genius Bar staffed with technical support specialists. However, one thing they won't find is the iPhone, as Apple's negotiations with Chinese wireless carriers remain a work-in-progress.



According to Allen, a crowd of over 110 people had queued up in an enclosed space just to the left of the store as of midnight Saturday morning local time.



Apple Store Sanlitun in Beijing, China | Copyright: 变脸.



The courtyard at Village at Sanlitun | Copyright: sortabella.



Entering the courtyard at Village at Sanlitun | Copyright: sortabella.



Apple retail VP Ron Johnson addresses the local media Thursday | Copyright: sortabella.



Apple Store Sanlitun's sprawling Genius Bar | Copyright: sortabella.



A broader view of the Village at Sanlitun retail complex | Copyright: sortabella.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 22
    tulkastulkas Posts: 3,757member
    The chinese build buildings that really look like ass. The Apple store looks nice, but the rest of the buildings in the "Village at Sanlitun retail complex" look horrible.
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  • Reply 2 of 22
    Our friend Gary Allen from ifoAppleStore has made the grueling journey across the Pacific to be on hand for tomorrow's grand opening at 10:00 a.m.





    What he do swim ??
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  • Reply 3 of 22
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Tulkas View Post


    The chinese build buildings that really look like ass. The Apple store looks nice, but the rest of the buildings in the "Village at Sanlitun retail complex" look horrible.



    I don't know about looking like ass. But shouldn't "Genius Bar" be written in

    chinese.
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  • Reply 4 of 22
    And ya'll ain't fooling me. Those photos were done over with CS3,using the smog filter.
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  • Reply 5 of 22
    That is the most beautiful piece of Apple architecture in existence. GAAHHH. We need one in downtown Seattle.
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  • Reply 6 of 22
    Every once in awhile when reading these posts I laugh out loud, eg., "what did he do swim?" and "the smog filter."
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  • Reply 7 of 22
    crebcreb Posts: 276member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Fast Fred 1 View Post


    I don't know about looking like ass. But shouldn't "Genius Bar" be written in chinese.



    The caliber of Chinese consumer purchasing Apple products typically is a polyglot.
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  • Reply 8 of 22
    irelandireland Posts: 17,802member
    Ron Johnson has (some) charisma, I wonder will he be one of the possible selections to replace El Jobso? Change is unavoidable. Jobs' replacement will be nothing like him, for better and for worse. No one is replaceable, cause everybody's different. That's life!
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  • Reply 9 of 22
    with the combination of best buy and apple in china and with apple displays in bestbuys, hopefully this will be a bigger footprint to push apple computers over there
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  • Reply 10 of 22
    SpamSandwichspamsandwich Posts: 33,407member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Fast Fred 1 View Post


    I don't know about looking like ass. But shouldn't "Genius Bar" be written in

    chinese.



    Many signs around Beijing are in Chinese and English.
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  • Reply 11 of 22
    peteropetero Posts: 94member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Fast Fred 1 View Post


    And ya'll ain't fooling me. Those photos were done over with CS3,using the smog filter.



    LMAO and ROTFL....





    Funny how in Beijing, Apple's trademark stainless steel is a material necessity --- not a stylistic choice.
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  • Reply 12 of 22
    irelandireland Posts: 17,802member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by PeterO View Post


    LMAO and ROTFL....



    No quite me.
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  • Reply 13 of 22
    ap780ap780 Posts: 9member
    hey, i rekon it looks good, but the apple store sydney looks heaps better, the stairs in the sydney shop are intence, and the overall design is awesome, i like the desighn of the china shop but it doesnt look as big



    cheers

    AP
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  • Reply 14 of 22
    successsuccess Posts: 1,040member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Ireland View Post


    Ron Johnson has (some) charisma, I wonder will he be one of the possible selections to replace El Jobso?



    Would that be the same Ron Johnson that the famous black talking cat speaks of?



    See for yourself.



    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=964uC...eature=related
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  • Reply 15 of 22
    irelandireland Posts: 17,802member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by success View Post


    Would that be the same Ron Johnson that the famous black talking cat speaks of?



    See for yourself.



    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=964uC...eature=related



    Yes, same fellow.
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  • Reply 16 of 22
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Tulkas View Post


    The chinese build buildings that really look like ass. The Apple store looks nice, but the rest of the buildings in the "Village at Sanlitun retail complex" look horrible.





    well, and many of these other chinese build buildings that look like ass are designed by foreign famous architects.
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  • Reply 17 of 22
    the cool gutthe cool gut Posts: 1,714member
    Photoshoping in a Blue sky was a nice touch



    -edit - seems "Fast Freddie" lives up to his name - beat me to the punch!
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  • Reply 18 of 22
    The building is nice but a little bit small.



    I arrived there at 5 pm the day before the opening and I was the 17th.



    I have some pics in my blog. Just visit:

    http://www.1986tp.cn/2008/07/apple-s...ye-experience/
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  • Reply 19 of 22
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Fast Fred 1 View Post


    And ya'll ain't fooling me. Those photos were done over with CS3,using the smog filter.



    I'm interning in Beijing, and over the past few days, nearly every day has been a 'blue-sky day.' It was blue skies during the Grand Opening.
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  • Reply 20 of 22
    peter236peter236 Posts: 254member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Tulkas View Post


    The chinese build buildings that really look like ass. The Apple store looks nice, but the rest of the buildings in the "Village at Sanlitun retail complex" look horrible.



    You are just another foreigner eating sour grapes.
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