Rumor: Apple’s Third Shanghai Store Set to Open Next Week

Apple’s third Shanghai store – its fifth in mainland China (and sixth, if you include the upcoming Hong Kong store) – looks set to open soon. According to a property management official who wouldn’t give his name, the new Apple store on Nanjing Road could well open on September 20th at the earliest.

This report comes from Chinese tech site DoNews, which says that the new store looks set to be three or four floors of retail space, going from B1 up to the third-floor. Right now, the venue is shrouded in Apple’s familiar hoardings that hide new stores (pictured above). It says, in English and Chinese, “We’re about to light up Nanjing Road. Apple Store, Nanjing Road East.”

It’s located at the corner of Nanjing Road East – which has many common brand stores, compared to the more upscale West section of the street – and Henan Zhong Lu (see map below). It’s within walking distance of the Bund and Shanghai’s most famous skyscraper skyline panorama.

Reporters poking through gaps in the hoarding say that a lot of things are in place, and the decoration work will finish very soon.

Despite the size of this store – in line with how insanely busy Nanjing East Road can get – it’s actually Apple’s financial district store, with its grand spiral staircase, that will remain its most iconic China flagship venue.

However, Apple has already confirmed that its new Hong Kong store will open on September 24, so I’m a bit skeptical that this one – which needs even more work – will be ready before that.

Apple looks set to have six official Apple stores in greater China by the end of this year, though that’s far off the 25 store figure that many thought Apple would be aiming for.

[Source: DoNews – article in Chinese]