As the market for smartphones dips in China, device makers like OnePlus plan to increase its offline presence in India. After launching customer wholly-owned stores-cum-experience centres in major cities, OnePlus plans to open a dozen outlets across the country. Interestingly, smartphone shipments in China have suffered their biggest decline ever, with a 21 per cent drop in the first quarter of 2018 compared with the same period last year, according to a report from research firm Canalys. OnePlus, which has outsourced its phone manufacturing operations in India to another Chinese phonemaker Oppo, also plans to expand its R&D operations in India. After all, OnePlus’s expansion plan in the retail domain is an added business advantage for the signage companies whose activities involve in in-shop branding and displays.
