Apple continues retail expansion in China with new Tianjin store set to open on Feb. 7
Apple is continuing its retail expansion in China with another new store that’s set to open this weekend.
As it has announced on its website, Apple is scheduled to hold the grand opening of its new retail store at the Joy City shopping mall in the Nankai district of Tianjin at 10 a.m. local time on Saturday, Feb. 7.
The event takes place just a week after Apple opened its second store in Chongqing (pictured above), located in the Jiefangbei district, and a couple of weeks after the inauguration of the company’s West Lake shop, which is the largest Apple store not only in China but in the whole of Asia.
For those two previous inaugurations, Apple commissioned artists to create murals for the then soon-to-open stores. But judging by its plain announcement banner (see below), the new Tianjin Joy City store is unlikely to get a similar treatment.
The Tianjin Joy City store is already the 16th Apple retail store in China, joining four other stores in Shanghai, four more in Beijing, two in Chonqing, and one store each in Chengdu, Hangzhou, Shenzhen, Wuxi, and Zhengzhou.
Apple Store Tianjin Joy City
Another Apple store is expected to open in China ahead of the Chinese New Year festival on Feb. 19, in honor of which Apple has debuted a Chinese remake of its recent holiday-themed TV ad, “The Song.”
Apple CEO Tim Cook said in October last year that 25 additional stores would be opened within the next two years in the country.
China is considered the most important growth market for Apple. The past week alone is a testament to that.
Last week, the Cupertino-based company announced that for the first time, more iPhones were sold in China than in the U.S. It was also named the No. 1 smartphone vendor in China along with Samsung, and the No. 1 luxury gift provider in the country.
See also: Embracing China isn’t all good news for Apple, Will Chinese authorities now have access to our Phones?, and The iPhone 6 Plus is gaining popularity in China, which spells great news for Apple.
