New Delhi: Smartphone brands<\/a> are expanding their offline play by launching exclusive experience centres, doorstep servicing and even state-of-the-art service centres ahead of the festive season.
Market trackers said this will create differentiation in the overall buying experience by showcasing a smartphone maker’s product-line and result in increasing the brand's mind share among consumers. They added that such experience centres can also help build trust among consumers.
Vivo is the latest smartphone brand to open a flagship experience centre in Gurgaon in Haryana, where it will combine product experience, sales and after-sales servicing. The centre will also offer live-demos of premium products and have a dedicated zone for accessories and IoT products.
The Chinese smartphone<\/a> maker will launch over 650 such exclusive stores across the country by the end of the year.
\"Experience centres may sell products, but they are generally focussed on showcasing the entire product line-up, demonstrate the capability and let consumers experience the products,\" Navkendar Singh, associate vice president, device research at IDC India, told ET.
Xiaomi and Samsung<\/a> already have a strong footprint of offline experience centres across the country’s urban hubs. A 2021 report from Channelplay, a retail and channel solution provider, said both companies have the largest retail network across the country. Realme too opened its first flagship experience store, a 13,000 sq feet facility, in Ahmedabad in June.
“The brands are focusing on differentiation not just on devices<\/a> but on overall buying experience,\" said Prachir Singh, senior analyst at Counterpoint Research<\/a>.
Smartphone brands are also bolstering after-sales service availability, in a bid to build consumer trust as the market moves up the price ladder to more premium handsets.
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