Apple Sets Up Shop in Beijing

With less than three weeks until Beijing’s summer Olympic games, Apple has opened its first retail store in Beijing, and, indeed, in all of mainland China. The impressive three-story structure is located at the heart of the newly renovated Village at Sunlitun, a high profile shopping and entertainment complex. Upon its much-anticipated opening, more than a 100 people had queued up as early as 20 hours before the store opened its doors to customers and the media.

The design of the store is similar to those found in the West with the usual Apple products and staffed with a multilingual genius bar. However, there is one thing you may find missing – the iPhone. Apple and Chinese mobile carriers have been unable to reach a distribution agreement. For now, the world’s largest mobile market will have to wait until they see the iPhone on sale at the Sunlitun Apple Store. This is the 219th Apple retail store that has opened outside of the United States, with more scheduled to open in China within the near future.

“This is the first of many stores we will open in China… in Beijing, in Shanghai, and beyond,” said Ron Johnson, Apple’s senior vice president of retail.

More pictures here.