Having made its mark on home turf, Chinese phone maker Oppo is eyeing the fresh neighbouring market of Japan. The company was a newcomer to the Chinese smartphone industry in 2004 and since then it has taken the brand barely 10 years to dig its claws deep in the home market and expand to India. Even in India, Oppo is now an established player commanding a good amount of sales. Now, Japan and Europe seem to be the next priority.
Oppo R11s may launch soon in Japan
Oppo chief of Japan operations, Deng Yuchen, was quoted as saying that the brand will launch the flagship Oppo R11s next month. The target is to reach global sales standards in Japan in 5 years. Easier said than done, Oppo will have to compete with Apple, Samsung and Huawei who already are well set in the Japanese market.
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“Operating in such a demanding market can enhance our own strength and serve as valuable experience for us to tackle untapped European and U.S. markets in the future,” Deng said. “Success in the Japanese market will be an endorsement for our brand.”
The handset maker is in talks with NTT Docomo Inc., and some more carriers and will hire around 700 to 800 employees for operations in the coming months. There may also be a flagship retail store in Tokyo although this is a plan for a later stage.
The Oppo executive said, “We feel if we don’t come to Japan now we’ll miss out the opportunities.”
