Fake Apple store opens in China; even employees are fooled

By 박한나

Published : July 22, 2011 - 11:36

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Amid increasing popularity of Steve Job’s products around the globe, fake Apple stores that pretend to be authentic are opening in China.

A motorcyclist passes by a shop masquerading as a bona fide Apple store in downtown Kunming in southwest China's Yunnan province. China (AP-Yonhap News)

Not only did the stores in Kunming disguised themselves to be official retail chains, the products sold there were also imitations.

Shockingly, even those who worked there wearing staff T-shirts printed with the company logo thought they were working for Apple.

"The stairs were poorly made and the walls hadn’t been painted properly,” says American blogger BirdAbroad, who revealed the swindle at her website.

"It looked like an Apple store. It had the classic Apple store winding staircase and weird upstairs sitting area. The employees were even wearing those blue t-shirts with the chunky Apple name tags around their necks,” she explained.

The blogger also said that people could notice that the store is unauthorized by looking at the name “Apple Store,” something the company would not use.

"This was a total Apple store rip off. A beautiful rip off – a brilliant one – the best rip off store we had ever seen,” BirdAbroad added.

By Kang Yoon-seung
(koreacolin@gmail.com)
Intern reporter

<한글 번역>

중국의 “짝퉁”은 어디까지….스티브 잡스도 복제할 기세

중국의 윈난성(雲南省)에 위치한 쿤밍(昆明)에서 가짜 애플 매장이 등장했다.

모조품이 판치는 중국 시장에서 애플 이름을 딴 가게가 나올 법 하지만, 이번에는 그 규모가 남다르다.

미국인 블로거 BirdAbroad가 발견한 이 매장은, 비단 내부 인테리어 등도 공식 대리점의 모습을 따라 했을 뿐 아니라, 판매되는 제품도 전부 가짜였다. 심지어 일하는 직원들도 스스로 미국 Apple社에서 채용된 것으로 착각했을 정도였다.

이 블로거는 인테리어가 조악했지만, 일반적인 애플 매장과 흡사하게 만들었으며, 직원들도 파란색 티셔츠를 입고 있었다고 설명했다.

하지만 Apple社가 사용하지 않는 명칭인 “Apple Store”를 가게명으로 하고 있어 알아챌 수 있었다고 덧붙였다.

Fake Apple store opens in China; even employees are fooled

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