Motorola Opens Retail Store in Tibet

Motorola has opened a retail store up in the heights of Lhasa, Tibet. Motorola says that they have the most popular mobile phone brand and largest market share in Tibet, according to Sino-MR. Motorola is opening its stores in cooperation with local retailers in markets like Lhasa in order to ensure that the mobile retail experience is delivered with a local flavor and benefits from the retailers' own knowledge and experience. The practice will also build the foundation for opening more such stores.

Lhasa literally means "place of the gods", although ancient Tibetan documents and inscriptions demonstrate that the place was first called Rasa, which means "courtyard place" or "goat place". Its altitude is about 3,650 m (12,000 ft), making it one of the highest cities in the world. The city is home to about 200,000 inhabitants.

"Motorola handsets have been performing particularly well in Tibet during the past year - especially the stylish MOTORAZR V3 - so opening the store makes perfect sense for us," said the Premier Store operator, Han Chuan Qiu. "We are very confident in our cooperation with Motorola and in the prospects of the store itself. As a matter of fact, we already have plans for more branches in the future."

As with Motorola's Flagship Stores, which opened earlier this year in Shanghai and Moscow, and the over 150 Motorola branded stores opened in China this year, the 120 m2 Motorola Premier Store in Lhasa aims at offering a user experience that goes beyond just sales. The new store has different areas where customers can learn how to use the advanced features of their Motorola handsets, including many music functions, customize their phones to fit their fashion needs, and receive on-site technical support.

"The opening of a Premier Store high up in Lhasa marks yet another new milestone for Motorola," said Motorola's Michael Tatelman, corporate vice-president and general manager, Mobile Devices Business, North Asia. "At the same time, the opening also underscores our focus on improving the mobile retail experience for consumers in cities of all sizes throughout China. We are fully committed to working together with local partners to bring new, exciting and unique mobile experiences to Tibet."

Posted to the site on 22nd November 2006