SMARTPHONES BECOME CRUCIAL FOR RETAILERS

Smart phones (smartphones), whose global sales have surpassed those of conventional devices (default phones) according to Gartner Consulting, are gaining more importance for retailers inside the operation. Both companies specializing in this market, such as Webfones, as those that offer greater diversity of products, such as Walmart, see the marketing of these devices like current due to fundamental market.
For the founder and Executive Director of e-commerce Webfones telephony, Guilherme Ribeiro, the sale of smartphones is one of the exceptions within the retail market in the country. "The smartphone goes a little against the grain of this scenario that we see today, because keeps growing. In Brazil are still sold more conventional appliances, no 3 g or wi-fi, but the expectation is that by the end of next year, the market is already dominated by smartphones ", says Ribeiro. "The population is migrating en masse to the smartphone, the conventional cellular will continue losing ground, and the expectation is that disappear until 2016."
According to Gartner, about 51.8% of sales of cell phones in the world were made to purchase a smart phone. Following the global trend, the number of consumers who have a device of this kind increases significantly in Brazil.
Kantar Worldpanel: consumer survey suggests growth of 319% in the number of smart phones between January 2010 and January 2013. In the first quarter of this year, about 11 percent of the appliances were smartphones.
Increased demand
The growing demand for smartphones in Brazil is also reflected in the sales of companies. Walmart, considered the third largest retailer in the country, points out that the demand in physical stores have surprised positively the company.
"The sale of smartphones is above what was predicted by the company," says the DCI the company's commercial Director, Daniel Pinheiro Santana. "Sales growth in the last three months in stores of Walmart Brazil is above 50% as compared to the same period last year."
The Executive explained that most of the recipe of physical stores of Walmart in the country comes from precisely of smartphones, "representing approximately 70% of value sales of handsets," concludes Santana.
Specializing in telephony, the Webfones has been operating for less than two years and aims to earn $ 15 million to $ 20 million in 2013. With over a thousand registered products, including mobile phones and accessories, the company is diversifying the products offered after benefit from the sale of aircraft. Feeling the good time, the player will make in about 30 days the possibility of buying pre-and postpaid plans from operators TIM, Claro, Vivo and Oi.
"Even with the economy stalled, demonstrations, political uncertainties and currency fluctuation, sales keep growing because we're experts in smartphone. The market only grows, there's no slowdown, "argues the company founder William Ribeiro.
He says that even though the pay a little more for appliances with more features, consumers are looking for more the default phones. "We sell more smartphones, are nearly 80% of our sales. Everyone is migrating to a smartphone. Even people with cheaper phones, expect to Exchange and acquire a phone with more features, because today there are already hearing from u $ 249, $ 299. "
The Brazilian market
In Brazil, some companies seek to adapt their products to the market peculiarities. According to the CEO of Webfones, some features are common to emerging countries. "In markets like Brazil, China and India, are most common appliances with more than one chip, for example. Because the population of these countries tends to be more sensitive about the prices of mobile operators. "
With that in mind, the LG launched last week a new line of products, all with Dual Chip Technology and one of the models, the L4 II, with space for three chips. "Today 80% of the Brazilian market on value concerns sales of smartphones, and the Country is the second largest international operation from LG in the world," says the DCI to General Manager LG mobile marketing of Brazil, Barbara Toscano. The Country only after the United States and matrix, South Korea. "That's why we work since the premium platform, with over $ 1,300 reais, to the more accessible, between $ 329 and $ 899, for people who want to buy your first smart phone."
In this sector, one of the highlights of the LG is the Nexus, the result of a partnership between the brand and Google. It is estimated that a partnership with Motorola is signed to produce the next unit of the multinational online services.
Department store sales lead market
Even without specialize in telephony, the Department stores have been the main channel of sales of smartphones in the first quarter of this year.
According to a study of Kantar Worldpanel: consumer, 28% of smart phones were bought in this type of operation. The shops of home appliances are the responsible for the second largest participation, with 19%, followed by third-party sales (16%) and shops and kiosks of carriers (11%).
Watch this move, industry players are betting these sales to another activity: sales made by these devices, known as m-commerce.
In April this year, the Casas Bahia launched its mobile site, offering more than 120 thousand items in the online store. Other networks such as Walmart and Magazine Luiza has also adopted this platform.
In addition to become potential customers for the virtual stores of the marks, the greater appreciation of the sale of smartphones can bring increments in the medium and long term. According to the study of Kantar Worldpanel: consumer, Smartphone users trade more rapidly on average appliance every 14 months. In the meantime, users of common devices perform the Exchange every 26 months, on average.