TechCrunch looks at Apple's fight against the grey market in China
M.I.C. Gadget has an interesting post on Apple's efforts to reduce the influx of iPhones into the grey market with its new Shenzhen store. For years, Apple has been battling scalpers who either illegally import iPhones or buy them in bulk from Apple retail stores and resell them at a profit in mainland China. These professional scalpers have disrupted launches and forced Apple to include barricades, hundreds of police officers, teams of security officers and extra management.
Apple is allegedly changing its internal management strategy and its ordering system to better handle this scalper problem. The company has supposedly brought in security specialists who are training staff to recognize problem situations before they rise. It's also working closely with public law enforcement, who can provide extra security if needed. Apple also modified its ordering system so scalpers can't flood its website with orders. Apple now keeps limited stock of iPhones on hand and uses a reservation ordering system to control the flow of outgoing handsets.
You can read more about Apple's efforts and the scalping problem facing its new Shenzhen store in the article on M.I.C. Gadget.
[Via TechCrunch]
