Stated as an online-only brand over six years ago, Xiaomi India is aggressively expanding its footprint in offline retail in the country. With over 15,000 retail touchpoints, Xiaomi aims to double the total number of touchpoints to over 30,000 in the next year. The company also plans to double the number of exclusive Mi Stores from over 3,000 to over 6,000 in the next two years.
"We are extremely delighted to announce the Grow With Mi today. It is a comprehensive retail exercise that will not only foster entrepreneurship but will co-lead an evolution that democratises access to tech for Mi Fans and consumers across the country. With this new initiative, we are determined to expand our presence and reach out to our customers in the convenience of their hometowns. We are confident that the new initiative will significantly contribute to our offline retail presence and also will help prospective entrepreneurs from small towns and villages to embark on their journey of success," Manu Jain, MD at Mi India.
Xiaomi India has also launched Grow with Mi (GWM) to foster retail entrepreneurship in the country especially in rural markets and will create employment opportunities for over 10,000 Indians. GWM will also introduce Mi Retail Academy wherein entrepreneurs from different backgrounds will be nurtured and trained to start from product training to sales training, customer management to polishing other soft skills such as marketing, in-store designing, customer service, retail excellence, etc.
Xiaomi commenced its offline journey in 2016 and has so far managed to create 15,000+ retail touchpoints that include 75+ Mi Homes and 3000+ Mi Stores. "We also intend to extend the Mi Store on Wheels format to cover other far corners in the country and bring the best in class Mi Store showroom experience in areas that have limited access," says Muralikrishnan B, COO, Mi India.
The company is also planned a support package of Rs 100 crore to help the retail partners set up and run these stores over the next two years.
During last year's pandemic led lockdown, Mi India also launched its first omni-channel solution - Mi Commerce as a special initiative with the intent to blur online and offline boundaries. Designed as a hyper-local product discovery solution, Mi Commerce offers a rich shopping experience while regulating crowds, maintaining social distancing and ensuring the safety of the consumer and the retailer at Mi Stores.
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