Shortly after we blogged about Apple Hong Kong’s officially launch this coming Saturday, we learned from the good folks at Shanghaiist.com that the Apple Store at Nanjing road is going official this Friday at 9am — Yes, a back-to-back official launch in Shanghai and then Hong Kong. For those who have lost count, this is Apple’s third store in Shanghai.
The new Shanghai and Hong Kong Apple Stores have similar plans to mark the occasion. Like Apple HK, Apple Shanghai Nanjing road has a full schedule booked the day after its launch with introductory workshops — the usual suspects — Lion OS, iTunes, and Mac gadgets.
The guest celebrities who will be visiting Apple Shanghai are slightly different from its Hong Kong’s cousin though, with Zhang Yadong and Yufan gracing the new Shanghai store in October.
Apple’s recent expansion in Greater China brings the total tally there to six stores. But it is still falling very short of its “25 new stores in two years plan” which it announced last February. Well, that doesn’t necessary mean that Apple’s commitment to China is fading. We all know how important China is to any company that wishes to have a global presence.
But perhaps the recent fake Apple stores have warned Apple to proceed with caution, as battling these fake stores is essential to protect the company’s brand identity in China.
That’s just one way to look at it, though.
Even 19 stores short of its original plan, Apple seems to be transplanting its branding prowess in China pretty well (for now at least). And launching Apple Stores in Greater China at a slower pace does increase the sense of anticipation among Chinese. After all, if it was launching a new Apple Store or two every month, who would get excited about that?
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