Apple creating a smaller version of iconic Shanghai store as promised Chinese retail expansion continues

Pudong, Shanghai, store left; latest Chongqing store right

Apple is creating in Chongqing, China, what appears to be a smaller version of its iconic glass cylinder Apple Store in Shanghai. ifo Apple Store shared a series of photos as the wraps came off what is set to be Apple’s third retail store in the Chongqing region, which has a total population of more than 28 million people.

Workers dismantled the huge steel structure that has been covering the entrance for nearly the past year, revealing a 30-foot tall glass structure that will lead to the underground store. The entrance is set in a plaza and surrounded by tall buildings, a setting similar to the [Shanghai] store, but on a smaller scale.

The first Apple Store in Chongqing opened in July of last year, and a second one is under construction. More photos of the latest store can be seen below … 

Tim Cook revealed in October of last year that the company planned an aggressive expansion of its retail presence in the world’s most-populated country, opening 25 new Apple Stores in China within a two-year timeframe.

Steve Jobs was posthumously awarded a patent for the design of the Shanghai store in 2012. Its smaller brother is expected to open around the middle of the year.