Fast-rising Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi plans to open a retail flagship in Hong Kong.
While the location has yet to be revealed, Hugo Barra, VP of Xiaomi Global, told a media briefing the new store would open “within weeks”.
The Xiaomi Hong Kong store will be the first standalone Xiaomi retail presence outside the China mainland. As well as allowing customers to try out the handsets and compare models, the store will have a service guarantee: customers can bring a phone in to be fixed and wait no longer than 19 minutes before being able to take it away.
“The idea is that we want to provide a service and store experience that feels just like home, we want a place that feels so comfortable you’re just happy to come and hang out,” said Barra.
The store will feature 55 inch flatscreen TVs and sofas encouraging customers to linger.
Hong Kong residents are fast adopters of new technology and very brand conscious. It is also a popular destination for mainland Chinese to shop for electronics because they feel more confident about the authenticity and quality of the products they buy.
Xiaomi was launched in China in 2011 yet has already become the world’s third largest smartphone brand. Last year it sold 60 million handsets, almost all of them in Mainland China. Founder and CEO Lei Jun, China’s 23rd richest man, is now expanding the brand into other consumer electronics lines.
Xiaomi will launch its new Mi 4i handset in Hong Kong on May 12 at HK$1599 – a handset with a 5.5 inch screen and 15 megapixel forward camera, running Android. At the equivalent of US$206, it is a potential category killer once consumers grow to trust the Mi brand. An Apple iPhone 6 starts at $5588 (US$720). It is Xiaomi’s first phone developed for the global market.
Xiaomi has a small network of 19 retail stores in Mainland China, dubbed Mi Homes and 541 service centres operated by partners in eight markets.
To date most of its handsets are sold online and through a small group of retail partners in Hong Kong and India.
