CyberMedia Research today released their latest research survey findings from the CMR Retail Sentiment Index 2018. The CMR Retail Sentiment Index 2018 captures the perspectives of traditional multi-brand smartphone retailers through a nationwide retailer survey across ten major Indian cities, including Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata, and Guwahati, among others.
The importance of Offline Channels has been underlined in recent times, with many online-only brands also opting to build their offline presence for further growth. When it comes to Offline, the key differentiation point for a smartphone brand is the level of engagement and trust that it empowers its channel partners with.
Prabhu Ram, Head- Industry Intelligence Group (IIG) at CMR said, “The success of a smartphone brand in a volatile and competitive market like India is determined predominantly by the trust with channel partners. What our survey illustrates is that Offline has to be a strategic long-term move, and not merely a kneejerk tactical one. When brands plan and invest in their channel partners, it pays off for them.”
As per the CMR Survey findings, the three key parameters of most importance for channel partners, includes sell-out schemes, timely payout, and transparency in dealings.
Satya Mohanty, Head- User Research Practice at CMR added, “Despite the stiff competition from Chinese mobile handset brands, Lava has held its ground in offline retail channels, scoring exceptionally well, alongside Samsung. Our survey findings affirm that Lava has been ranked first by retailers on trustworthiness as well as timely payouts.”
“Brands such as Samsung and Lava have consistently focused on Offline as a key priority for them, with a long-term strategy, centered around trust, timely payouts and transparency in dealings,” added Satya.
