Fake Apple store in China creates Internet buzz
Photos of a fake Apple store in Kunming circulating in the Internet have added to China's reputation as a hub for imitation goods.
A recent blog post written by an American woman currently living in Kunming, China, said that fake Apple stores have started appearing in the area.
According to Apple's official website, the company does not have a store in Kunming.
The writer said that at first glance the store looked so real that it was hard to tell whether it was a fake or actually owned by Apple. It had a "shiny exterior with a big glowing, white Apple front and center."
The store itself had similar wooden tables, the winding staircase and concrete floors as if one were in a real Apple store. There were traditional though outdated branded posters and signs hanging on the walls.
According to the blogger, employees, with Apple employee identification cards hanging from lanyards, actually believe they work for Apple.
They assist customers in bright blue Apple T-shirts, complete with a clean white Apple logo across the chest.
The woman tried to take some photos of the store, but she was quickly approached by five employees asking her to stop, telling her that their boss prohibited photo-taking.
It was only after she hinted to them that she was an Apple employee from US paying a visit that they allowed her to take photos.
And after she left the store, the writer said, "a 10-minute walk around the corner revealed not one, but TWO more rip-off Apple stores."
