Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi Corp, which is planning to raise US$10 billion in a Hong Kong public listing, says it has launched sales in France and will enter the Italian market tomorrow.
In France, Xiaomi is selling through its first Mi Store in Paris, via its own e-commerce platform Mi.com, and on other online and offline platforms including Amazon and Cdiscount. To date, the Beijing company has established a presence in 74 markets and has agreements with telecoms carriers in France, including Bouygues, Free, Orange and SFR.
Smartphone shipments in western Europe fell 13.9 per cent in the first quarter, according to market research firm Canalys. Shipments to France dropped 23.2 per cent.
However, Xiaomi shipments rose by more than 999 per cent, while Samsung and Apple saw 15.4 and 5.4 per cent declines respectively.