The American technological giant Apple will close one of its physical stores in China for the first timecountry in which its turnover and market share have been reseaking themselves in recent years before the decrease in consumption and competition by the thriving local brands.
On its official website, Apple China confirms that its store at the Parkland Shopping Center in Dalian (Northeast) will close on August 9. In that city, about 7.5 million inhabitants, it has another store about three kilometers away, which will remain open.
According to a statement sent to EFE by the company, the decision was made after “the March of numerous vendors of the Parkland Shopping Center“, And all employees of the closed store” will have the opportunity to maintain their positions “in the company.
Local media underline that owner of that shopping center has been involved in Serious financial and legal problemswhat has resulted in the march of other important brands such as Hugo Boss, Armani or Michael Kors, which did not renew a contract when their respective rentals expired.
The SINA Economic News portal remembers that Apple has already closed a store in Beijing in 2020although in that case To open a new and bigger one in the vicinity just two days later. It also emphasizes that the technological will open an establishment in Shenzhen (southeast) on August 16.
According to data from the IDC consultant, in the second Apple quarter, he fell to the fifth place in the table of smartphone vendors (‘smartphones’) in China, surpassed by local firms Huawei, Vivo, Oppo and Xiaomi. The sales of the Californian company were reduced by 1.3% year -on -year, although those of the market in total dropped 4%.
According to Sina, Apple has already marking Seven consecutive quarters of descents Billing In the region that calls ‘Gran China’, a term under which it encompasses Continental China, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan – territories in which he adds 58 physical stores – and that is his third main market behind the American continent and Europe.
Given the situation, the CEO of Technological, Tim Cookembarked on a campaign to recover positions in China with multiple visits, advertisements of new investments or the inauguration, in March last year, of the largest Apple store in Asia, located in the eastern megalopolis of Shanghai.
