Croma, MobileStore fight to stay relevant

Big electronics retailers are shutting stores and turning price warriors to keep their brands alive

Ten years after Croma and The MobileStore set up their first stores in the country, they are being forced to reinvent themselves. While Croma is resizing stores and experimenting with retail models and in-house labels, The MobileStore is mimicking online counterparts by offering customers detailed product and price information and helping them choose better. However, given the steep discounts offered by Amazon, Flipkart and the commoditisation that the category has undergone, analysts believe that stores will need to do more to keep their brands in play.

The MobileStore is owned by the Essar group while Croma belongs to the Tata group