Apple shuts flagship Beijing store as scalpers sap store’s iPhone 4 supply

“We reported earlier this month on the quaint habit of iPhone purchasing for a profit all across London, as various folk pick up units to send into the lucrative Chinese grey market for the device — today we learn that Apple had to close its Beijing Apple store yesterday because grey market buyers were sucking all the store’s supply,” Jonny Evans reports for 9 to 5 Mac.

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“Seems that Apple bumped up the sales limit on iPhone 4 from two to unlimited in Beijing’s flagship store, drawing an immediate huge crowd of eager customers — but these folks were buying iPhones in large quantities to resell on the grey market, which caused such a commotion security eventually shut [down] AAPL’s flagship Chinese store,” Evans reports.

Evans reports, “Customers were seen leaving the store with 20-30 iPhones all boxed-up, which they were then seen attempting to sell to passers-by.”

Read more, and see photos, in the full article here.

[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Dan K.” for the heads up.]