Nokia Opens Its First Major Retail Store In Mainland China

No. 1 mobile device maker Nokia on Friday opened its first flagship store in Mainland China, which is also the largest and only standalone Nokia store in the world.

Nokia claims the store, located in Shanghai, brings a new perspective to the mobile retail industry through a personalized shopping experience.

"The China market has become the leading global market in terms of scale and maturity, and we believe that the Nokia Shanghai Flagship store will become popular among Chinese consumers," said Colin Giles, president of Nokia China, in a statement.

Store visitors can interact and become familiar with Nokia's mobile devices and service before purchasing them. The store is equipped with a state-of-the-art audio and video system, including display screens that help visitors identify different areas of the store. Product descriptions appear on a nearby digital display when a visitor picks up a product to view.

All of Nokia's products are connected to the store's network and linked to the appropriate accessories, including wireless speakers, headsets, and printers.

The flagship stores reflect Nokia's business-to-consumer sales model, which helps Nokia better understand consumer needs, the company said. But Nokia isn't the only company to use this model. Apple, among other vendors, has put up stores in different cities across the United States, where visitors can test out products and talk to sales reps in person, and existing customers can get technical support right in the store.

Apple last May opened a mega store on New York's Fifth Avenue, which the company calls its "most architecturally innovative store." The store's facade is a 32-foot glass cube, and it's open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Nokia's Shanghai flagship store is the seventh of 18 planned flagship stores and second in the region. Nokia opened its first Asia Pacific store in Hong Kong last July. Nokia also has two stores in the United States, in New York and Chicago.