Apple is closing a retail store in Dalian, marking the US firm’s first shutdown of a directly managed outlet on the mainland amid struggling iPhone sales.
Meanwhile, Huawei Technologies returned to the top of China’s smartphone market in the second quarter.
The store, located in the northeastern city’s landmark Parkland shopping centre, will cease operations on August 9, according to Apple’s website, leaving the city of 7.5 million residents with just one remaining Apple-owned outlet.
The closure follows the rebranding of Parkland into Intime City after a change in the company managing the mall’s operations. Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the reason for the closure.
Apple had 57 stores last year in the Greater China region, which comprises the mainland, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. Meanwhile, Apple will open its third store in Shenzhen on August 16.
Apple faces fierce competition from local brands in China. Huawei returned to the top spot in the mainland’s smartphone market in the second quarter, bucking an overall decline in sales, according to a report from Canalys on Monday.
