Apple's in-store pickup option now available in mainland China

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
Posted:
in General Discussion
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.

Apple Store China In-Store Pickup


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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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 7
    The_New_tontonThe_New_tonton Posts: 37member
    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.
  • Reply 2 of 7
    GeorgeBMacGeorgeBMac Posts: 11,421member
    The_New_tonton said:
    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.
    IF you believe the China Haters club.

  • Reply 3 of 7
    GeorgeBMacGeorgeBMac Posts: 11,421member
    This is good, it's a nice service.
    But, the last time I ordered something from Apple (an iPhone 12 Mini), a courier dropped it off at my house about an hour later.  And, those kind of services seem to be more prevalent in China than the U.S.

    In any case, this is just another example of how the COVID experience resulted in permanent changes to the way we live -- and many are good -- like this one.
  • Reply 4 of 7
    AppleCensorshipAppleCensorship Posts: 3member
    " 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?
    edited July 2021
  • Reply 5 of 7
    AppleCensorshipAppleCensorship Posts: 3member
    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.
    As half of the population in Hong Kong uses iOS devices, the most imminent risk is that Apple starts censoring content the way it does in mainland China: https://applecensorship.com/greatfire-asks-apple-about-app-stores-management-in-china-open-letter/ ;
  • Reply 6 of 7
    GeorgeBMacGeorgeBMac Posts: 11,421member
    AppleCensorship said:
    " 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?

    It's the same in the U.S.
    What's your point?
  • Reply 7 of 7
    GeorgeBMacGeorgeBMac Posts: 11,421member
    AppleCensorship said:
    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.
    As half of the population in Hong Kong uses iOS devices, the most imminent risk is that Apple starts censoring content the way it does in mainland China: https://applecensorship.com/greatfire-asks-apple-about-app-stores-management-in-china-open-letter/ ;

    Apple is obligated to follow the laws of the country they are operating in.
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