Top Biz News
Mainlanders visit Hong Kong for iPhones
By Guo Jiaxue (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-12-28 08:09
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"Chinese people usually tend to seek perfection, when buying things, especially high-end fashion electronic products. Castrated iPhones make them feel something is missing," Sun said.
"Some consumers will certainly buy licensed goods, but most people definitely will buy parallel iPhones with all functions," he said.
Buying options
The most common way for mainlanders to buy iPhones in Hong Kong is through electronics chain retailers like Fortress or through individual buying agents. Their shops can be found in shopping malls such as Time Square and Harbor City.
Both malls draw regular crowds of mainland tourists buying iPhones. However, customers have to order first and then return when the phones are ready. It usually takes a month to a month and a half.
"It is because of high demand for iPhones in Hong Kong. The market is getting beyond the supply," said a member of the sales staff at Apple Hong Kong.
Large shops are not the only choice. Some small shops, rather booths, are selling spot goods for a price about HK$100 to HK$400 higher than the larger stores.
The Sincere Podium in Mong Kok is well known to local people and now also to mainlanders.
Ah Fai opened a small cell phone shop at Sincere Podium. Having been in the cell phone business for years, Ah Fai stored two boxes of iPhones based on his relations with suppliers.
"Some clients bought five to six iPhones at a time and took them to Shenzhen through Lo Wu," he said. "The price is a little higher than (other stores), but you can get the phones right away, and you don't have to wait."
Ah Wing is a Hong Kong-based purchasing agent who said she doesn't believe the Unicom iPhones for sale on the mainland will affect her business.
"That is just cooperation between China Unicom and Apple. Without WiFi, those are not real iPhones." she said.
She buys iPhones at electronics shops in Hong Kong and resells them at a price of 5,090 yuan, earning a profit of HK$400 to HK$ 500 per phone.
Online sales
Businesses also are selling iPhones online. According to Taobao.com, some online shops sell 30 to 60 Hong Kong-version iPhones a month. There are more than 1,000 online shops selling iPhones from various suppliers.
Thanks to Zhongguancun, a famous IT and electronics shopping district in Beijing, mainlanders also are able to buy US-version or Hong Kong-version iPhones in the capital city.
"Usually the vendors will provide warranties. There also are special shops doing maintenance service in Zhongguancun," mainlander Sun told China Business Weekly.
The number of iPhones entering the Chinese mainland market through various channels exceeded 1 million by May of 2009, according to a report released by telecommunications consulting service company Ovum.
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IPhones are not the only electronic goods heavily purchased by mainland consumers in Hong Kong.
Mainland visitors also are interested in cameras and laptop computers they said are sold at significantly lower prices.
For Hong Kong retailers, the mainland market has proven a major boom.
According to Hong Kong's census and statistics department, retailing volumes increased by 58 percent during the first five years after the central government in 2003 began allowing individual travel to the Special Administrative Region.
