Agra, Oct 7 (IANS): India's most trusted smartphone brand itel has announced the launch of its first-ever exclusive and experiential retail store in Agra, Uttar Pradesh.

To elevate the buying experience of its customers, itel exclusive store christened as itel Home is spread across a 210 sq.ft. area and located in the business centre of the city.

itel Home will showcase itel's wide product portfolio across various segments such as smartphones, feature phones, smart gadgets, home appliances, etc. The store will also feature itel's futuristic range of products that will be catering to consumers' lifestyle needs.

Aligned with the brand's philosophy of 'itel hai. Life sahi hai', this is yet another major move from itel to empower its consumers to experience itel's existing and upcoming range of products first hand before making their purchase decision. By the end of 2021, itel plans to open four more such stores across India to take this experiential journey further.

"We are extremely delighted to announce the first exclusive itel Home in India adding another landmark in its journey in India. It is an emotional moment for us today as we started our India chapter in 2016 also in Agra city," Arijeet Talapatra, CEO, TRANSSION India, said in a statement.

"itel is an offline focused brand that strongly believes in the strength of its presence in retail and the overwhelming acceptance it has received because of its extensive distribution framework. With a presence in more than 1 lakh+ retail stores, our key focus has always been on making technology accessible for consumers. The recent addition of our exclusive itel store will empower consumers to experience the products hence enabling them to make the right purchase decision and also abreast them with the upcoming products" he added.

The launch of the first itel store in Agra will set a different course in consolidating the retail network as it will be operated by itel's channel partners. This retail model will be scalable under the Franchise Owned Company Operated (FOCO) model wherein the Distributors would act as itel ambassadors who will meaningfully engage with the customers to give them a delightful experience across all itel products in an immersive environment.

Designed in a modern format to facilitate storage and display, the store ensures an attractive technology experience for consumers.

For the initial six months, consumers will get exciting goodies from itel on their first purchase. The itel exclusive store is equipped to follow all necessary hygiene and safety protocols as per the government's guidelines and is conveniently located at Shop No 101-B, Ground Floor Block No 43/2, at Sanjay Place, Hariparwat Ward, Agra, Uttar Pradesh.

At present, itel's distribution network in Uttar Pradesh covers around more than 18,000 retailers and 180 distributors supported by 175 service touch points. The opening of itel's first experience store in one of its key markets Uttar Pradesh is a testament to itel's commitment to the region. itel has always cemented its position as the brand that caters to the aspirations of Indian masses for Tier 2 and below towns. To further strengthen its connection with its target audience across India, itel plans to expand its footprint by opening 4 more experience stores by the end of the year.

Looking back at itel's journey as a feature phone brand to becoming the top-selling feature phone and smartphone brand under 6k and establishing its mark in the Smart Gadgets and TV segment- this accomplishment in 5 years of its operation in India has been remarkable in the industry. itel's 8 crore+ customer base in India is a true testimony of customers' trust, acceptance, and reliability on the brand.

The product category expansion backed with innovation led technologically advanced product portfolio has kept the growth trajectory flourishing for itel. itel will continue to democratize technology for the masses across tier 2 and below towns in India and will continuously bring value proposition products backed by a customised and localised marketing strategy. As per the CMR Insights on the Go Survey, itel is also considered as the 'most popular brand' in the sub 7k segment.