Samsung in talks to cast retail net wide

Samsung India is expanding in the organised retail market and in talks with various retail players including Reliance, HyperCity, Max, Metro and Landmark, said R Zutshi, deputy managing director.

"We are looking at various possibilities and are talking to these players. We are still looking at details," he added.

The Indian subsidiary of Samsung Electronics is also expanding its own network. Its brand Shop network is expected to expand by 30 per cent this year and include eight more shops in the western region.

The company also plans to spread its "touch and feel" concept across 100 multi-brand outlets in the country. "Moreover, our Dream Home roadshows should cover about 135 cities this year," said Zutshi.

He was talking on the sidelines of the launch of Samsung's Bordeaux series of LCD Panels. With the new range, the company claims to have the widest range of LCD televisions in the country.

The company expects to sell one lakh sets of flat panel televisions by the end of December this year. "This will give us half the market share in this segment," said Pradeep Tognatta, director, sales.

As part of its $20 million investment, the company will begin manufacturing LCD televisions in its Noida facility from the third quarter this year. The panels will be imported from South Korea. Initially about 5,000 sets per month will be manufactured.

The company, which reported revenues of Rs 6,200 crore last year, is banking on the new launch to drive its sales and capitalise on the World Cup football that begins next month.

The company is offering introductory schemes and is also launching regional ad campaigns in West Bengal, Kerala and Goa, known for their football following.

The new range will contribute about five per cent of Samsung's total colour television (CTV) sales this year. At present, the company has a 28 per cent share of the Indian colour television market and expects to increase this to 32 per cent. It produces two million sets of CTV per year.