STR/AFP
Dozens of fans of the Apple brand got up at dawn to attend the opening of an Apple Store in Shanghai, but they were beaten by seniors armed with folding chairs and parasols.
Apple fan, Kit Cheung got up at dawn to be one of the first to discover a new Apple Store in Shanghai, this Thursday, March 21. “I arrived at six in the morning”, says this 30-year-old Hong Konger. But he quickly became disillusioned, seeing a line of retirees already well established in front of the store, with folding chairs and parasols. “They were there even earlier than me!”
Most of the fans who came to attend the event were beaten… by retirees looking for gifts. They arrived too late to take their place in the huge queue which allowed access to the store. THE “so many” and the “uncles”, as young seniors in China are affectionately known, are often present at these types of promotional events because they have a lot of free time, with this generation generally retiring at the age of 60 at the latest. They don’t mind waiting in line for hours to get free groceries or discounted meals.
Free bags and stickers
“My friends told me about this event. They told me we could get stuff back.”, an elderly lady explains enthusiastically as she walks toward an employee handing out canvas bags and limited-edition stickers. It was to loud applause from the staff that these sixty-year-olds with permed hair or holding stools flocked to the Apple Store in the Jing’an district, a few minutes after the doors were opened by CEO Tim Cook himself.
Jason Wang, 35, was one of the few young people able to enter as soon as it opened. Originally from Chengdu, he had set up camp in front of the bay windows two days earlier. Coming with a stock of food, he said he organized trips to the toilet with other fans who had also come in advance. He was thus able to be the first to enter the new store, where he was able to meet Tim Cook who autographed a book and a connected watch package for him. “It’s like a dream come true.”
Behind the success of this opening, Apple faces a major challenge in China. The boss’s arrival comes as concerns grow about its market share in the country, where it already has 47 stores (Hong Kong and Macau excluded). iPhone sales in the country fell by almost a quarter year-over-year in the first six weeks of 2024, according to a recent report from Counterpoint Research.