The rift between smartphone major Xiaomi and its offline retailers seems to be widening. Some Mi preferred partner store owners across India are unhappy with Xiaomi launching new smartphones online first and then supplying older models to offline stores. The All India Mobile Retailers Association (AIMRA) took to Twitter to express their anger against Xiaomi’s ‘online first’ policy.
To protest about the same, some Mi Preferred Partner stores are covering the Mi logo and GSB boards of the store front with posters of rival brands like Samsung, Oppo, Realme, Vivo and others. Mi Preferred Partner stores are all about selling only Xiaomi’s products to buyers. This protest in a way indicates that if the store owners’ concerns are not resolved then they may start selling phones of rival brands as well.
Xiaomi earlier in a report by The Economic Times, claimed that this entire campaign by AIMRA over allegations of “online bias” is an “attempt to defame Mi India and its employees” . It also said this campaign is “slanderous” and “libellous”.
“MIPP (Mi Preferred Partner) 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,” tweeted All India Mobile Retailers Association and tagged Sunil Baby– the company’s senior director of offline sales.

The association claims that it wants equal opportunity for online and offline sellers. Store owners feel that if all new phones are sold online first then there’s little chance to get any competitive edge by selling older models in stores.
This isn’t the first time that Xiaomi’s store owners defaced their storefront voluntarily. Last year, during the border conflict with China, some stores had covered the Mi GSB boards to prevent unwanted attacks from locals who were boycotting Chinese brands. The owners feared that the anti-China sentiment across the country may lead to fringe groups destroying their stores.