Samsung will add another 13 stores across nine cities — Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Chandigarh and Pune in phase 1
New Delhi: Korean electronics major Samsung is planning to set up 15 premium experience stores across nine cities in India by the end of this year to increase the share of high-end products in total sales, a company official said on Thursday.
Samsung India D2C business senior director Sumit Walia told PTI that the trigger for expansion of premium experience stores follows the rise in share of its high-end products at brand stores and also two premium stores that were opened recently in Bengaluru and Delhi.
“We are going on a rampage to go on expanding. We will open 15 premium experience stores like we have in Connaught Place and Opera House across nine cities by the end of this year. This format will be able to tap into the premium segment,” Walia said.
Samsung will add another 13 stores across nine cities — Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Chandigarh and Pune in phase 1.
The company has opened the first premium experience store at Opera House in Bengaluru, which is spread over an area of around 33,000 square feet. It has opened another premium store in Delhi’s Connaught Place spread in an area of around 4,000 square feet.
Walia said that all premium experience stores will be operated by franchisees, where Samsung will showcase premium products suits based on lifestyle like work from home, living room scenario etc.
“We have seen the share of our premium product doubling to 60-62 per cent at Samsung brand stores in the last 1.5-2 years. At the premium experience store in Bangalore it has gone up to 80 per cent. Customers now want more out of their product which we are able to showcase at these premium experience stores,” Walia said.
Samsung has 1,700 brand stores across India.
He did not disclose the amount of investment that will go in opening the stores but shared that franchisee owners will hire field experts like gaming specialist, chef, photographer etc. at each unit.
“The experts will be around half of the total workforce that each premium experience store will have,” Walia said.
He said that the premium stores will house repair centres for mobile devices while the service will be provided at doorstep for consumer electronics.
