The store owners think that the majority of new phones will get sold online first, then the offline sellers will not get an opportunity or competitive edge by selling older models in stores.

The ongoing feud between smartphone giant Xiaomi and its offline retailers is going worse with each passing day. In India, there are several Mi preferred partner store owners, who are not happy with Xiaomi, as the company is soon launching new smartphones on online platforms first and then supplying older models to offline stores. 

The All India Mobile Retailers Association (AIMRA) recently took to Twitter to show their anger against Xiaomi’s ‘online first’ policy. It tweeted, "MIPP is upset with Xiaomi’s policy of launching New models Online, thus extending leverage in the form of the exclusive window period.MIPP is agitating by covering Mi-GSB and asking Xiaomi to end this anti-competitive and restrictive trade practice & support Offline equally."

@Sunilbaby11 MIPP are upset with Xiaomi’s policy of launching New models Online,thus extending leverage in the form of exclusive window period.MIPP is agitating by covering Mi-GSB & asking Xiaomi to end this anti-competitive & restrictive trade practice & support Offline equally. pic.twitter.com/MFV5izTtfu

— ALL INDIA MOBILE RETAILERS ASSOCIATION (@AimraIndia) September 19, 2021

AIMRA also claimed that it requires equal chances for online and offline sellers. The store owners think that the majority of new phones will get sold online first, then the offline sellers will not get an opportunity or competitive edge by selling older models in stores.

Hence, due to the ongoing situation, there are many Mi Preferred Partner stores that are protesting and covering the Mi logo and GSB boards on the storefront with posters of rival brands which include Samsung, Oppo, Realme, Vivo, and others. 

Meanwhile, this isn't the first occasion when Xiaomi's storekeepers defaced their retail facade willfully. Last year, during the Indo-China border conflict, a few stores had covered the Mi GSB boards to keep undesirable attacks from local people who were boycotting Chinese brands. The owners expected that the counter China feeling the nation over may prompt peripheral bunches, obliterating their stores.