On Apple Watch launch day, a new retail store will open in Hangzhou, China
The Apple Watch, and, in particular, the golden (and expensive) “Apple Watch Edition,” is expected to do well in China – a market that’s already booming for Cupertino. As such, it comes as no surprise to hear that a brand new retail store is due to open in Hangzhou, China, just in time for the launch of the Apple Watch.
Indeed, the retail store will throw open its doors on April 24, at 9 a.m. local time, MacRumors reports. This, significantly, is the same day the Apple Watch will go on sale in China, and as such customer demand in Hangzhou will hopefully be better satisfied. This isn’t the first retail store to open in Hangzhou, however; rather, another store opened around three months ago at West Lake in the Shangcheng District. Apple’s new store, on the other hand, is opening in the Jianggan District, some three miles away.
Before now, we’ve explained how Cupertino’s Apple Watch Edition models, which start at $10,000 and increase in price (with band configuarions) all the way up to $17,000, could add a staggering $5 billion to Apple’s bottom line. Moreover, this estimation had been based on the assumption that the devices would sell from $5,000, a figure that’s now been confirmed as half the price of an Apple Watch Edition model. The huge profit margin Apple is expected to enjoy for its Edition smartwatches means a relatively low number of sales could translate into big, big profit for the company. And if, as analysis has argued, the golden “status symbol” watch will do particularly well in China, Apple’s numbers really could be huge for 2015.
It’s no surprise, then, that senior vice president of Retail Angela Ahrendts has her eyes set on China, and a new retail store just in time for the launch of the Apple Watch is a smart move.
Preorders for the device begin this Friday, at 12:01 a.m. PDT. You can also reserve an Apple Watch for in-store pickup on April 24, though reservations for the smartwatch are limited to one per customer.
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