China's Kunming Adds Fake Ikea Store to Apple Clones

　　繼假蘋果商店後，中國又出現了假宜家家具(IKEA)店，在昆明，11家具是一個大型多層樓的家具店，從店面設計、顏色、網站文宣看起來通通都像是IKEA，甚至店裡面有咖啡廳也與IKEA一樣。如同之前的蘋果商店事件一樣，裡面的員工對於在這種公司工作也並不感到不安，認為智財權是老闆的事，員工只需要服務好顧客就好 。而11家具也如同之前的假蘋果商店一樣是位在中國西南的大城市昆明，如果昆明官方繼續放任這種情況，昆明的未來值得繼續觀察。

　　In China, fake Apple stores in Kunming are so yesterday. Now, it's all about the fake Ikea.

　　Copying the Swedish furniture-maker's characteristic blue and yellow branding, “十一家具" or "Eleventh Furniture" is a huge, multi-level store that sells mod furniture and even has an in-store cafe, just like Ikea. Take a closer look below and tell us if you think Ikea should be concerned.

　　Much like with the fake Apple store examples, those working there do not seem to care much about working for a carbon copy.

　　Asked about the similarities, an employee shrugged her shoulders and told reporters "If two people are wearing the same clothes, you are bound to say that one copied the other. Customers have told me we look like Ikea. But for me that's not my problem. I just look after customers' welfare. Things like copyrights, that is for the big bosses to manage."

　　It's not just the bricks and mortar branding that's been lifted; Eleventh Furniture's advertising and "catalog" even copies Ikea's, even if its website, 11jiaju.com does not.

　　Ikea is likely aware of its Kunming clone, as Chinese bloggers noted Eleventh Furniture's Ikea likeness last year.

　　It's also noteworthy that this knock-off Ikea store is in Kunming, in Southwest China's Yunnan Province, the same city in which the fake Apple store was found. Apparently, copycat retail branding is something of a cottage industry there these days.

　　In fact, city officials may be missing a branding opportunity: "Visit Kunming, Knock-off Capital of the World!" Or the copycat slogan: "What's copied in Kunming, stays in Kunming... until you buy it and bring it home!"

[Ikea images via http://twitpic.com/5zbo3o ]

LINK:http://www.brandchannel.com/home/post/China-Follows-Fake-Apple-Store-With-Fake-Ikea.aspx