Handset vendor Intex Technologies is planning to set up standalone brand stores to boost its retail presence.
Called ‘Intex Smart World’, 400 stores will come up next fiscal (2015-16) at a cost of over ₹100 crore. Investments will be through internal accruals.
The stores will stock not just handsets (feature and smart-phones), but also other Intex products such as consumer durables & IT peripherals (CDIT) that include speakers, IT accessories, furniture (Intex Styles) and LED TVs.
“We will start with metros and then move to other A and B category cities. The idea is to focus on product experience that will help the customer make his choice,” Vishal Malik, DGM (Retail), Intex, told
Delhi-headquartered Intex Technologies reported a turnover of ₹2,000 crore in 2013-14 and is targeting a 100 per cent growth in turnover (₹4,000 crore) this fiscal.
Mobile phone sales account for nearly 70 per cent of the company’s top-line; the remaining is from the CDIT segment. According to Malik, standalone stores will be a mix of company-owned and franchisee outlets. ones.
Company-owned outlets will be between 700 and 1,200 sq ft. Franchises will be smaller with a size of 500 sq ft.
Single point of contactIntex will leverage the standalone outlets as the single touch-point for customers.
According to Malik, these will provide some basic services (after sales); and will also act as reference points for its service centres in case of advanced help.
Staff at these brand stores will be trained by the company. At present, Intex has 880 service centres across the country.
Of the ₹6,000 crore target turnover for FY-16, five per cent or ₹300-odd crore is expected to come from brand stores. Intex also plans to ramp up its production facilities that include setting up a smartphone manufacturing facility here with an investment of ₹500 crore.