The offline outlets will be used to sell all Realme smartphones. The announcement has come just after new norms for FDI in e-commerce were announced by the govt
(Image Courtesy – RealMe website)China-based smartphones brand Realme will be setting up offline shops in 10 cities in India during January 2019. The brand will be using these shops to sell all the smartphones it has launched in the country till now. The move, aimed to expand Realme’s offline presence, is part of its plan of opening more than 20,000 outlets in over 150 Indian cities.
Realme India CEO Madhav Sheth said, “Realme as a young brand is committed to delivering the best consumer experience to our customers. Strengthening our commitment, we are expanding our footprints to meet the rapidly growing customer demands. With the new offline store, we are extending our sales channels reaching out to our offline customers in every region. This is the extension of our sales strategy and ultimate target of Realme for Every Indian.”
The announcement has come just after new norms for FDI in e-commerce were announced by the govt. Realme will be selling Realme 1, Realme 2, Realme 2 Pro, Realme C1, Realme U1 and other smartphone models via these outlets.
Realme’s journey from online-exclusive to offline expansion
Realme had made its India debut earlier this year. It was functioning as an online-exclusive brand in the country. The company used both Flipkart and Amazon India to sell its phones. It is to be noted here that Realme has also partnered with over 1300 My Jio and Reliance Digital stores in India.
Tarun Pathak, associate director, Counterpoint Research, in Diwali festive reports had said, “The newly launched online only smartphone brand, Realme had a record festive performance for any new brand ever in India. Realme immediately captured 9% share jumping to the third spot in overall sales volume performance and also became the second largest in online segment with 18 per cent share.”
One million sales during Flipkart’s Big Billion Days
Realme smartphones had hit 1 million sales during the ‘Big Billion Days’ sale on Flipkart. It was the first time the company took participation in the festive sale. The e-commerce platform had announced that the brand ranked second during the festive sales drive. Realme C1 had recorded a sale of 110,000 devices.
Madhav Sheth, Chief Executive Officer, Realme India, had said, “We’re happy to have enabled a record-breaking 1 million Realme sellout in just 4 days of Flipkart’s Big Billion Days sale; this is a record-breaking achievement for just a 5-month old brand.”
Realme might be launching A-series smartphones in India during January 2019 as well. The smartphone, touted as a budget offering might feature a Helio P70 chipset, waterdrop display and dual rear cameras. It is believed that the brand will offer Realme A1 at prices more affordable that Realme U1.
