Xiaomi’s CEO, Lei Jun took to his Weibo page to announce that the company will be opening over 200 Mi Home Stores this year. The brick and mortar stores will be spread across China and will see the total number rise to almost 300. Xiaomi already has 80 stores at the moment.
The Mi Home Stores will provide an alternative other than the official online store for those who wish to purchase Xiaomi’s wide range of products. Items like air purifiers, water filters, TVs, rice cookers, and most important, smartphones will be available at these stores. The stores should also serve as a drop off point for faulty items.
The increase in the number of stores should translate to more sales, especially in the smartphone segment for Xiaomi. One of the company’s goals this year is shifting its over-reliance on online sales to the more traditional physical stores.
Another country that needs lots of Mi Home stores is India, Xiaomi’s second most important market and with a population that closely matches China’s. The company already has two factories there and is planning a third. Most of its sales are carried out online and they are still always in short supply.
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Xiaomi’s flagship phone is the Mi 6. It went on sale last week Friday and was out of stock in less than a minute. Hopefully when production ramps up, customers will be able to walk in to Mi Home stores and purchase a unit.
