Beating Samsung and other local/international phone makers to the punch, Xiaomi has already been crowned as the most attractive brand in growing market of India. The Chinese upstart, whose sales have faltered against competitors in its home country, now eyes India as one of its most prominent markets — as sales continue to rise and achieve milestones.
To further the user experience and increase adoption, Xiaomi has today sent out press invites for a May 11 event that will mark the opening of the country’s very first offline store. Called Mi Home Store, this scheduled launch falls in line with insistent rumors that the Chinese company was mulling this expansion strategy. It recently opened its first store outside China in the Southeastern region — in Singapore. And India now seems to be next in line.
Xiaomi has already been selling its phones and accessories via its online store and exclusive e-tailer partnerships in India. But, this first-of-its-kind Mi Home Store, that is coming up in Bengaluru will be a significant addition to the Chinese giant’s presence in the country. Its had a presence in India for the past two odd years and sold more than
The offline store will be unveiled by Manu Kumar Jain, the MD of Xiaomi India — who recently took over responsibilities of former Group Vice President Hugo Barra after he left to join Facebook’s VR efforts. He’s equally excited about the launch of this experience store as we are and share the invite on his Twitter profile.
Three BIG announcements coming this month! Starting with our 1st #MiHome launch in India on 11 May ? Any guesses abt other 2? ? @XiaomiIndia pic.twitter.com/pHG3AdJKBW
— Manu Kumar Jain (@manukumarjain) May 4, 2017
The Mi Home Store will not only house Xiaomi’s latest smartphone creations but will also bring along the host of accessories and other products such as power banks, headphones, Mi Band, Mi Air Purifier, and much more. Soon, you’ll be able to walk into this store and have a hands-on experience with every available device. However, the possibility of Xiaomi beginning the sale of devices from these stores shouldn’t be expected as of now.
While Xiaomi has always been focused on marketing its products through online channels, it forayed into the offline market with retails stores in its home country last year. There are currently 80 Mi Home Stores operational in China and Xiaomi’s CEO Lei Jun has suggested that 200 more stores will be opened by the end of 2017. With the opening of the retail store in India, the company is going to have an offline presence in five markets — India, China, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.
