Tim Cook unveils the largest Apple Store outside the US (it’s where iPhone sales have plummeted)،
Amid the DOJ chaos facing Apple, the iPhone maker is trying not to neglect another extremely important item on its agenda: how to sell more in China.
As we reported, consumers in the world's largest smartphone market (that's just another way of saying China) have spoken out and after the first six weeks of 2024, iPhone sales have plunged China from one year to the next. The Cupertino giant saw a significant 24% drop in iPhone sales in China during the first six weeks of 2024.
This result missed analysts' estimates by more than $3 billion. The report has spooked investors into believing there will be continued weakness in iPhone sales throughout this year as local smartphone makers like Huawei and Vivo once again become increasingly popular in China .
This doesn't make Tim Cook and company step back. On the contrary, Cook opened the new Apple store in Shanghai (via Reuters). A large crowd, made up of many people who had waited in line overnight, applauded Tim Cook.
He arrived in Shanghai on Wednesday, inaugurated the new Apple store by opening its doors and signaling victory with his fingers, greeting the first customers who had been waiting in line since the day before. Located across the street from the historic Jing'an Temple, the store is Apple's 57th store in China and eighth in Shanghai, making it the company's second largest flagship store, after Fifth Avenue in New York. .
Tim Cook was joined by Deidre O'Brien, Apple's senior vice president of retail and human resources, and remained silent during the opening, which drew hundreds of people, prompting Chinese police to control the crowd .
During his visit, Cook spoke to local media and met with representatives of Chinese suppliers, including Wang Chuanfu, director of BYD, a supplier of key components to Apple. After Shanghai, Cook plans to travel to Beijing to participate in the China Development Forum, which connects foreign leaders with senior Chinese officials.
