The largest experiential store of the phone brand OnePlus opens in Bangalore
Innovation Trends Manager
OnePlus Boulevard is the brand new experiential store that opened its doors last February in Bangalore, India. This Chinese tech giant was born on the internet, its first sales in India were via Amazon and only by invitation! Since then, it has had unparalleled success in India and wants to get closer to the end customer. It is through its store that OnePlus wants to create a link with its customers as well as with the members of the OnePlus community who have access to an entire floor reserved for club members.
OnePlus is a Chinese tech company with headquarters in Shenzhen, the tech capital of China. OnePlus mainly sells phones, televisions, smartwatches and headphones.
It has become the fastest growing smartphone brand in India. From a share of just 2% in 2016, OnePlus has taken control of 27% of the Indian high-end smartphone market. Its success can be traced to its market entry strategy in India. In order to give the phone an image of exclusivity, only consumers who received an invitation could order the phone via Amazon. This strategy gave the brand a high status making it one of the most popular in the country. That’s why the company decided to open its largest experience store in Bangalore.
Located in Bangalore’s Brigade Road area, often referred to as India’s Silicon Valley, the store has an area of over 3,600 square meters on two floors. The second floor is reserved for members of the OnePlus club, called Red Cable Club, they have areas reserved for them, an auditorium and a café among others. As a member, members receive several benefits such as vouchers, exclusive promotions and even access to new product sales before they are available in stores. To become a member, simply create your Red Cable account and as you purchase new products, your membership becomes more important and offers more benefits. It works through a points system.
The store has been decorated to be in connection with nature. The wall near the staircase was decorated with terracotta, several trees and plants are located in the store, and the windows that serve as the roof bring natural light to the store. In addition, OnePlus has partnered with various Indian artists to display their sculptures, vases and pottery in the store.
This experiential store is a big step for OnePlus, which has been a digital-first brand since its inception. The company has taken the decision to open more physical stores to engage customers further. The president of OnePlus India explained that in the last few years, OnePlus has gone from being a digital-based brand to having a very strong physical presence. Less than 3 years ago, OnePlus had barely 3,000 physical retail outlets; by the end of 2022 they should have 15,000.
Why visit the store?
1.Explore the product experience area
Like all tech stores, OnePlus Boulevard has a section dedicated to the experience of its products. What makes it different from other similar areas is the touch screen near the product that allows the customer to have all the information instantly. For example, if the product explored is a phone, the screen shows the size of the product, the type of battery used, the colors of the model, etc. To explore the televisions, the store has installed sofas in front of them to create an environment as similar as possible to a living room.
2.Unpack the purchased product in a dedicated area
Located near the product experience area, the unpacking area allows customers who have just purchased a product to unpack it on site. This area contains several tables and chairs as well as unpacking kits to help customers open their products and get them ready to leave.
3.Play video games in the gaming area
The gaming zone contains several televisions and phones that allow customers to play various video games to test products before purchase. Sitting on sofas, consumers can pick up the phone in front of them, which is connected to one of the televisions, and launch the game of their choice. The phone acts as a controller for the players.
4.Have your devices repaired at the customer service center
OnePlus Boulevard contains a customer service center, as do all major tech retailers. OnePlus’ addition is Live Repairing: the customer can see the repair of their electronic device live by entering a small office where they come face to face with a technician.
5.Rejuvenate in the Community Lounge
Upstairs in the store is a dedicated area for OnePlus club members called the Red Cable Club. This lounge is made for members to escape from all the technology around them. Decorated with vases and sculptures made by local artists, members are encouraged to read and rest on the armchairs and especially to get away from the tech products.
6.Attend events in the auditorium
OnePlus Boulevard also includes an auditorium that resembles a small movie theater reserved for OnePlus club members. This space is used for conferences and product launches. The large screen is used to show documentaries or other brand advertising videos to club members.
7.Have a coffee in the dedicated experience area
Reserved for OnePlus Club members, the coffee area is a relaxing area where members can talk to each other while drinking their coffee. Located around a green area, this space is the perfect place to meet members and leave the lounge with a quieter atmosphere.
