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"Angry customers and organised gangs of touts threw eggs at Apple's store in Beijing after disturbances broke out when they were told that the shop would not open as planned for the first sales of the iPhone 4S. Police dragged some customers away while others threw eggs at the windows of the store in Beijing's fashionable Sanlitun district. Many of the customers were working for touts who try to buy up popular products en masse and sell them on at a profit.
The demand for the iPhone 4S has been incredible and our stores in China have already sold out," Apple said in a statement. "Unfortunately we were unable to open our store at Sanlitun due to the large crowd and to ensure the safety of our customers and employees the iPhone will not be available in our retail stores in Beijing and Shanghai for the time being," Apple said.
Apple's chief executive, Tim Cook, said earlier this month that "customer response to our products in China has been off the charts. With the launch in China … the iPhone 4S will be available in over 90 countries, making this our fastest iPhone rollout ever"
China is Apple's fastest growing market, accounting for one-sixth of the company's global sales. However, despite being manufactured in China, the latest version of the iPhone was only launched there on Friday.
It looks like consumerism and the Walmart "Black Friday" mentality of "storm troop" shopping is well established in China.
The demand for the iPhone 4S has been incredible and our stores in China have already sold out," Apple said in a statement. "Unfortunately we were unable to open our store at Sanlitun due to the large crowd and to ensure the safety of our customers and employees the iPhone will not be available in our retail stores in Beijing and Shanghai for the time being," Apple said.
Apple's chief executive, Tim Cook, said earlier this month that "customer response to our products in China has been off the charts. With the launch in China … the iPhone 4S will be available in over 90 countries, making this our fastest iPhone rollout ever"
China is Apple's fastest growing market, accounting for one-sixth of the company's global sales. However, despite being manufactured in China, the latest version of the iPhone was only launched there on Friday.
It looks like consumerism and the Walmart "Black Friday" mentality of "storm troop" shopping is well established in China.