India’s popular Smartphone and TV brand Xiaomi today announced an online to the offline solution Mi Commerce aimed at driving users to safely purchase Xiaomi devices from nearest Xiaomi retail store amidst COVID-19 lockdown. Mi Commerce is a first of its kind initiative to offer a rich shopping experience while regulating crowds, maintaining social distance, and ensuring the safety of users and retailers at Xiaomi retail stores.
Users can send a WhatsApp message to Xiaomi’s Business account number +91 8861826286 to start the Mi Commerce shopping or log in to the Mi Commerce web app at local.mi.com to connect with the nearest retail store and its available inventory. Users can express their interest, and the store will call to confirm the order and delivery time. The payment will be done on delivery and all delivery staff will ensure safe & hygienic delivery, the brand said in a media release.
Mi Commerce Features
- Online to Offline product discovery – Enabling users to reach out to offline retailers via an intuitive Web solution
- Hyperlocal Experience – Customer will be shown inventory of the nearest store selected
- Fast & Safe Home Delivery – Customer receives products at their doorstep while observing safety & hygiene guidelines
- Self-Marketing – Retailers will have their own online storefront URL to share and promote on Social media & other channels
- Health and Safety Guidelines – By regulating the number of users in stores, social distancing is observed
Xiaomi has rolled this initiative in all operational exclusive stores in India across ‘green‘ and ‘orange‘ zones as specified by the Government and almost 60% of Xiaomi’s partner stores are within green and orange zones and should be operational soon. The Mi Commerce solution is also accessible via a WhatsApp bot and more intuitive features such as finding a nearby store and many more will be added soon.
Commenting on the launch, Muralikrishnan B, Chief Operating Officer, Xiaomi India, said, “Mi Commerce is a specially designed platform to cater to the needs of our Offline retail partners in the current COVID-19 scenario and it is Xiaomi’s first step towards a longer-term Omnichannel strategy. This special initiative is built to ensure ease of purchase, keep partners and customers safe, and foster business continuity. However, we are especially proud that this is a future-ready experience enabling our users and retail partners in the post-COVID world. We hope the Mi Commerce solution would be a game-changer in enabling Offline retail business to grow and enabling ease & convenience to our customers”