Smartphone maker Tecno on Saturday said it has launched an initiative to offer customers the option to book their smartphones online and get the handset delivered by neighbourhood retail stores.
Also, the Transsion Group company said it will resume operations at its Noida factory in accordance with the government regulations.
The new model will help Tecno's network of 35,000 offline retailers revive their businesses and empower consumers to select the product of their choice from the safety of their homes, a statement said.
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Consumers can reach out to their preferred retailers via Tecno's website and enter their PIN code details. The microsite with a store locator will assist in mapping the retailer and the contact details, and the device will be delivered to their doorsteps by their nearest retailer, it added.
"Tecno's unique initiative will enable its consumers to connect and place order with their preferred retailers as per the zoning guidelines of the government from the comfort of their home," the statement said.
All orders will be delivered within 24 hours in compliance of the norms and guidelines prescribed by the government for zones created in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis. Consumers will not incur any additional charges, it added.
"We are a consumer-centric brand and at the time of crisis, when going out to a physical store is difficult for consumers. We are taking a step towards bringing them closer to our 35,000 retailers," Transsion CEO Arijeet Talapatra said.
Tecno's over 370 service centres have already resumed operations and it will restart its Noida factory in the week starting May 11, conforming to the advisory and guidelines of the state governments, the statement said.
After 40 days of lockdown, certain business activities like opening of standalone stores and e-commerce delivery of non-essential items have been allowed in green and orange zones (locations with few or no COVID-19 cases) from May 4.
With resumption in sales in select locations, companies like Vivo, Xiaomi, Samsung India and Oppo have announced plans to help connect consumers and offline retail stores via digital platforms.
Smartphone shipment in the country is expected to decline by 10 percent in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, even though the January-March quarter saw shipments growing at modest 4 percent with over 31 million units, according to Counterpoint Research.
Xiaomi led the market with 30 percent share of the smartphone shipments, followed by Vivo (17 percent), Samsung (16 percent), Realme (14 percent) and Oppo (12 percent) in the first quarter. The research firm had said "any signs of recovery will likely only start from the third quarter onwards."
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