Apple plans to have 40 Apple Stores in Greater China within two years, compared to the present 15, according to Tim Cook. Apple’s CEO had an interview with Sina.com yesterday and said the company will also increase its investment in the country: “In the future China will become Apple’s biggest revenue contributor.” Greater China includes Taiwan and Hong Kong.
China is the tech maker’s third-largest market after the United States and Europe and is important for Apple’s growth. Apple’s growth in China, though, slowed a lot in the latest quarter right before the new iPhone was released.
Some Chinese media outlets are saying that Cook’s trip is being done to relieve concerns that the Chinese government or public may have about the security of the new phones. In July, China Central Television said that the location-tracking function is “a national security concern.” Apple has a lot of competition from Samsung as well as Chinese manufacturers. In the second quarter, Apple ranked sixth in China’s smartphone market.
Currently, Apple has 7,000 employees in the 15 Greater China stores, which serve 750,000 customers a day. They are, according to Tim Cook, the world’s busiest retail stores.
