The COVID-19 forced lockdowns are pushing businesses online as restrictions on the movement of people have eliminated foot traffic in brick and mortar stores. India still has a massive network of retailers through which OEMs like Samsung sell their smartphones and the company is now looking to bring a significant number of them online to increase sales.
Following in the footsteps of Xiaomi and Vivo, Samsung has decided to implement a new strategy that will see over 20,000 of its retail partners being moved online. This will enable customers to purchase Galaxy smartphones from their neighborhood stores from the comfort of their own home.
Samsung leveraging the offline retail network to increase sales
Samsung says that this strategy will help “thousands of offline retailers become part of the online ecosystem and reach out to a larger base of consumers.” More than 20,000 sellers have already signed up, with Samsung partnering with domestic payments and installments platform Benow for payments.
Offline retailers can become a part of this initiative by registering on the Benow app but Samsung will have to share the details of the retailer with Benow first. They will receive a registration link on their mobile number after that. Once they're registered, the retailer can create an online catalog of the Galaxy smartphones they sell which can be shared with customers over SMS, email, WhatsApp and social media.
Customers will be able to order directly from the catalog, the retailer will get notified when an order is placed using the link and they can then reach out to the customer for further processing. Payment links can be generated through Benow with customers being offered cash on delivery, credit and debit card as well as EMI options for payment.
Samsung India has also announced the phased opening of its brand stores in designated Orange and Green zones across the country.
