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Mobile phones go the retail way

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CIOL Bureau
New Update

Shashwat Chaturvedi






MUMBAI: While the Indian mobile industry is bursting at the seams -- the total
subscriber base stood at 95,510,904 (GSM & CDMA, as on April 30, 2006. Source:

COAI and AUSPI) — there is not a single nationwide handset retail outlet that

caters to the populace till some time back.






Though, Nokia has established its exclusive showrooms under the Priority Shop
brand name, so has a few other handset players. There is no paucity of shops

selling handsets, but there hasn't been a concerted effort towards a single

integrated brand shop in India.






Bangalore-based MobileNXT is catering to this space, and terms itself as
“India's first mobile retail chain”. MobileNXT is launching a number of stores

across India under the same brand name, currently four such stores are

operational in Gurgaon, Kolkata, Mangalore and Ahmedabad.






“That is the beginning, we intend to open 31 outlets by the end of this year and
170 in the next three years,” says Vijay Menon, CEO, MobileNXT.






The company is investing close to $5 million in the venture and is targeting a
turnover of Rs. 48 crore in the first year and an ambitious Rs. 380 crore in

three years.






Close to 70-80 mobile handsets are available at the showrooms, and all have been
clubbed under different categories like ValueNXT (for cheaper handsets), WorkNXT

(for PDAs, etc.), StyleNXT (latest gadget phones), etc. The cheapest model

starts at Rs. 1800 and goes on till Rs. 42,000 for an iMate phone. MobileNXT

also offers after sales-service to the customers.






“Our customers can bring in their phones and we will get them repaired from the
mobile manufacturer,” promises Menon.






He also talks about an innovative exchange offer. “It is called as NXTChange,
wherein we give a guarantee that we will purchase the used handset back at

certain fixed value, providing it is in a fine working condition. For instance,

if a customer buys a Nokia N91, we offer to pay approximately 70 per cent back

three months later, 60 per cent six months later and 50 per cent a year later,”

elaborates Menon.






He intends to launch second-hand handset retail shop in November timeframe in
Delhi.






MobileNXT also provides allied mobile services. “People can also download latest
ringtones, games, and wallpapers from a Kiosk at our outlets at a much lower

cost,” adds Menon.






He is also bullish about the sale of CDMA handsets, which were till recently
bundled by the service provider. “CDMA is also going the GSM way, moving towards

a retail model, wherein a user can chose any handset that he likes and discard

the old one. This is due to fact that now CDMA phones are provided with SIM

cards. It is all steadily changing,” he says.






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