As Chinese consumers have become more demanding, new challenges are facing China’s small business. Chinese customers want Western style service in a Western style environment, but at Chinese prices!
So what can small business owners do? Create counterfeit Western stores seems to be the answer!
5. Fake Starbucks
Coffee is becoming increasingly popular in China, so it’s no wonder that fake Starbucks have sprung up in every major city. Some of our favourites are:
Sunbucks
Buckstar Coffee
and of course the classic Starfucks!
4. Knock-off McDonalds
McDonalds isn’t as popular in China as KFC (see later in the list), but that hasn’t stopped clever unimaginative entrepreneurs copying the famous fast food brand.
This fake McDonalds spotted in China has got the ‘golden arches‘ upside down and the rather strange name “Micheal Along”, which could relate to a the band “Micheal Learns to Rock” who headed the pop charts in China a few years ago for what seemed like an eternity!
3. Numerous Fake KFC’s all over China!
KFC is the undisputed fast food king in China, and all manner of KFC ‘inspired’ clones have hatched all over the place.
Gizchina News of the week
However looking at the initials on some of these fake KFC, it would be difficult to tell what fast food, or fast service they may offer!
XMD? And look at the Colonel’s eyes! Perhaps they provided some sort of drive-thru full body cavity search?
KMC? Kentucky Mango Cat? King Mao’s Cat? If you can think of a better one leave it in the comments.
2. Fake Apple Stores
The fake Apple stores which seem to be opening every 5 minutes here in China, are actually well designed nice stores.
The staff have nice uniforms and are friendly enough to Jailbreak your iPhone or iPad if you bung them a few 10o Yuan, but their ballsyness knows no bounds when it comes to claiming how ‘official’ they are.
1. Knock-Off Ikea
The fake Ikea store located in Kunming get’s to the number one spot on our list of top fake stores in China due to its unashamed cloning and sheer size!
The store is huge, painted blue, called Ikea and is filled with cheap good looking home furnishings! Are the real Ikea even sure this is a fake store?
kentucky maimed chicken
kentucky maimed chicken
You know, they DO have Ikea stores in China China. I’m very sure that the “fake” Ikea store you spotted in Kunming is the real deal. That’s what it’s called in China – 宜家.
You know, they DO have Ikea stores in China. I’m very sure that the “fake” Ikea store you spotted in Kunming is the real deal. That’s what it’s called in China – 宜家.
The IKEA website has a list of all their China locations, and Kunming isn’t on there.
http://www.ikea.com/ms/en_CN/ikny_splash.html
Kunming is the province. Xi’an is the city in Kunming with the Ikea. Okay? End of conversation.
lolwut. Xi’an is a city in Shaanxi province. Kunming is a city in Yunnan. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kunming
‘End of conversation’, haha! No way! 🙂
kuming is not the province,is a city in Yunan province
Xi an is a city and not with kuming, is in shanxi province
http://www.ikea.com/ms/en_CN/ikny_splash.html
Kunming is the province. Xi’an is the city in Kunming with the Ikea. Okay? End of conversation.
You know, they DO have Ikea stores in China. I’m very sure that the “fake” Ikea store you spotted in Kunming is the real deal. That’s what it’s called in China – 宜家.
The IKEA website has a list of all their China locations, and Kunming isn’t on there.
http://www.ikea.com/ms/en_CN/ikny_splash.html
Kunming is the province. Xi’an is the city in Kunming with the Ikea. Okay? End of conversation.
lolwut. Xi’an is a city in Shaanxi province. Kunming is a city in Yunnan. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kunming
‘End of conversation’, haha! No way! 🙂
kuming is not the province,is a city in Yunan province
Xi an is a city and not with kuming, is in shanxi province
boi you used wikipedia and wikipedia is not a resourceful site
KMC: Kan’t Make Chicken
KMC: Kan’t Make Chicken
I think the knock-off IKEA story is a bit of a misunderstanding (or an intentional mix-up).
I got curious and Googled around. It seems that the story was originally published by Reuters ( http://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-brand-piracy-idUSTRE77017720110801 ) and the second picture in this article is definitely from the same store as depicted in the Reuters article.
However the first picture depicts an actual real IKEA store in China and gives the reader the impression that they have copied an entire IKEA store including the giant building with its signature architecture.
This is not the case, as evidenced by the Reuters article. The actual building which hosts this “fake IKEA store” looks like this:
http://s4.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20110801&t=2&i=470500628&w=&fh=&fw=&ll=780&pl=468&sq=&r=2011-08-01T145318Z_01_BTRE77015D100_RTROPTP_0_CHINA-BRAND-PIRACY
Not as spectacular as you would have wanted it to be… sorry for that.
I think the knock-off IKEA story is a bit of a misunderstanding (or an intentional mix-up).
I got curious and Googled around. It seems that the story was originally published by Reuters ( http://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-brand-piracy-idUSTRE77017720110801 ) and the second picture in this article is definitely from the same store as depicted in the Reuters article.
However the first picture depicts an actual real IKEA store in China and gives the reader the impression that they have copied an entire IKEA store including the giant building with its signature architecture.
This is not the case, as evidenced by the Reuters article. The actual building which hosts this “fake IKEA store” looks like this:
http://s4.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20110801&t=2&i=470500628&w=&fh=&fw=&ll=780&pl=468&sq=&r=2011-08-01T145318Z_01_BTRE77015D100_RTROPTP_0_CHINA-BRAND-PIRACY
Not as spectacular as you would have wanted it to be… sorry for that.
In the KFC ripoffs:
XMD is the pronunciation of Chinese characters “Xiang Mai Duo” (香麦多) in pictures which is loosely translated as “Aroma MacDon”(alds)
KMC in pictures stands for Kentucky Macdonalds Chicken as well.
In the KFC ripoffs:
XMD is the pronunciation of Chinese characters “Xiang Mai Duo” (香麦多) in pictures which is loosely translated as “Aroma MacDon”(alds)
KMC in pictures stands for Kentucky Macdonalds Chicken as well.
ok karen