Imagine if today Apple only had two stores in the US. Believe it or not, that’s still roughly the equivalent situation in China. Apple only has six stores in China including Hong Kong, and as Reuters points out, that’s a slow rate of expansion given the circumstances.
To put things in perspective, Apple has eight stores in Pennsylvania, a state with a population of 12.7 million , including three stores in Pittsburgh alone. In China, it’s one Apple Store for 216 million people, and if Apple don’t move fast, they could lose what is a great chance to make even more cash.
Ron Johnson forecast back in 2010 that Apple would have 25 Apple Stores in China by now, and that’s clearly not happened. Apple mania is intensifying as we speak in China, and there have been cases of counterfeit goods and even stores such has been the hype around Apple.
Apple is behind in this area, there’s no doubt about it, but with the iPad now cleared for sale after the Proview settlement, they might see the next year as a chance to try and catch up. Opening stores has got to be a priority though, as there are millions of potential customers and users who are going unserved.
