In a new development, offline cellphone and electronics retailers have asked mobile and electronic brands such as Samsung, LG, Xiaomi, Realme, Oppo, Vivo, Sony, and Whirlpool to compete on a level playing field with ecommerce players on the issue of steep discounting or disrupting pricing that online sellers offer on ecommerce platforms. Otherwise, offline retailers may completely stop selling those brands, according to ET.
The Organized Retailers Association is meeting with all mobile phone brands to create a level playing field for both offline and online channels, according to the organization’s president, TS Sridhar. The Organised Retailers Association is a group of 18 cellphone retail chains, including Sangeetha, Poorvika, and Big C. The association is adamant that if the brands do not comply, it will opt for a total boycott of sales because it believes that online disruptive pricing harms the entire market.