“What explains this Chinese craze for Apple? Some go so far as to describe Chinese consumers as disciples of an ‘Apple Cult’ and the late Steve Jobs as its leader,” Zoe McKay reports for Forbes. “While this analogy is not very appropriate, it does figuratively highlight the irrationality of Chinese consumer attitudes towards Apple products.”
“pple has consistently managed to create a frenzy in China each time it launches a new product, unmatched elsewhere in the world,” McKay reports. “In fact, many buyers lining up at Apple stores around the world are from China itself—they just couldn’t wait for the new product to be launched later at home.”
“What I see in China is a large group of consumers increasingly indulging in their thirst for and worship of luxury goods. It’s as if they’ve been brainwashed. Chinese consumers have become the world’s most ardent worshipers of luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton, Bentley, Cartier and Hermès. They are willing to queue up around the world not only for Apple products but also for these other luxury products. In 2009, for instance, Chinese customers snapped up nearly a third of the luxury goods sold in the United Kingdom and 60 percent of luxury products sold in France,” McKay reports. “As for Apple, a large number of ordinary Chinese consumers obviously consider the iPhone a luxury item although whether a price tag of about 5000 yuan [approx. US$800] is steep enough to be considered a luxury item is debatable.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: As we’ve been wont to say many times, “Macintosh. Because life is short.” “iPhone” and “iPad” work just as well.
There’s nothing wrong with wanting the best and not settling for inferior wares. If you don’t deserve the very best, who does?