Indians still want to touch and feel smartphones before buying: Report

Despite a spurt in online shopping, Indian consumers will still go to physical stores in 2023 for their smartphone purchases, as touch and feel continues to play an important role for them, a report showed on Monday.

The top three drivers for satisfaction on overall smartphone sales support are satisfaction on trade/sell out schemes, transparency in process and timely payout, according to the report by CyberMedia Research (CMR).

"In the new normal, both online and offline retail continue to be equally important touch points for consumers. Consumers seek to research online, buy offline, or vice-versa," said Prabhu Ram, Head- Industry Intelligence Group, CMR.

Offline will continue toA be the cornerstone for mobile business in India in 2023 and beyond, he added.

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Sell-out schemes, timely payout, and transparency in dealings are what retail partners look for in associating with a smartphone brand.

Lava brand ranked highest in retailers' trust in the country.

"With its consistent and long-term focus on the offline retail market, Lava continues to dominate in retailer trust driven by its transparent processes, timely payout and price control," said Satya Mohanty, Head -- Industry Consulting Group, CMR.

In offline retail, a smartphone brand's success is driven by the level of its ongoing engagement and trust with its retail channel partner ecosystem, he added.

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