In India, the behavior of large companies is taken quite seriously, even Xiaomi accused of so-and-so. Now OnePlus is in the spotlight and more than 150,000 stores are considering stopping selling the brand. The next brand could be POCO!
A few days ago, more than 20 retail chains and 4,300 stores represented by the South Indian Retailers Association (ORA) announced that they would stop selling OnePlus devices from May 1. And today, the All India Mobile Retailers Association (AIMRA), which represents over 150,000 offline smartphone retailers in India, notified OnePlus that its members are considering stopping sales of OnePlus products.
According to AIMRA, OnePlus India has neglected the big retailers for years. It has failed to provide adequate stock, made meagre margins, failed to meet claims, failed to deliver on promises and has no meaningful relationship with Indian retailers. There are no demonstrations, no promotions, no market research, no standard operating procedures, all of which show a disregard for retailers.
OnePlus responded:
OnePlus appreciates the support it has received from its trusted retail partners over the past seven years. We are currently working with our partners to resolve outstanding issues and ensure we remain committed to building strong and prosperous relationships.
Indian retailers are also threatening Xiaomi's sub-brand Poco. "Following ongoing feedback and outrage from retailers, we have become aware that Poco's strategy appears to be biased towards exclusive online sales, which smacks of monopolistic and anti-competitive behaviour," said AIMRA, which has referred the matter to the Ministry of Finance and Trade, which is seeking an inquiry into the operations of Poco. The group added: "It is time to demand the withdrawal of their trade licenses for violating India's land laws!"
