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Touch screen mobility popular. |
Mivvy, a Czech manufacturer with a Hong Kong unit focused on consumer electronics and mobile phones, was pleased with 2009. Michal Slajs, Mivvy's Director says: "despite the global economic crisis, our company experienced a 30% increase in mobile phones sales in 2009."
Slajs says the company's good fortune at a time of a deep global sales downturn was due to developing new distribution channels. He believes there are increasing numbers of customers in the Czech Republic wanting to own a quality mobile device, particularly when they’re paying far less than is usual for the market there.
The company is leveraging on low production costs, with offices in Hong Kong and manufacturing opportunities on the Chinese mainland. Slajs says that he's seeing growing demand in 2010.
He also confirms that inexpensive touch screen phones and smart phones are currently favoured by Czech customers.
Last year was by no means easy for mobile retailers in the Czech Republic, with sales falling by about one-fifth to 2.7 million phones.
However, Nokia defended its position as the top-selling model on the Czech market with an estimated share of about 45%, with demand remaining stable for Nokia 6300 and Nokia 6303 phones.
The market also saw the arrival of cheap touch screen phones. "At the end of 2009, every third phone sold by Vodafone was a touch screen cell phone," says Vodafone spokesperson, Miroslav Čepický.
"Nokia, Sony Ericsson and Samsung were the most favoured brands," says T-Mobile Spokesperson Martina Kemrova. Compared to 2008, however, Sony Ericsson performed worse last year. By contrast, Samsung fared better, she adds.
Mivvy is a manufacturer of several types of device, including mobile phones, UMPCs, MP4 players, along with accessories for personal computers and GSM devices.
Mivvy has been designing and developing new products as well as selling OEM devices. The company has gradually spread its distribution channels throughout Europe, including the UK, Germany, Poland and Slovakia.
With a branch in Hong Kong, Mivvy has coverage worldwide, including coverage of India and South East Asia.
Chinese mainland-manufactured mobile phones are offered by large Czech chain stores, including the UK-based Tesco.
Czechs favour inexpensive handsets. "Our customers are more interested in OEM mobile phones than branded ones," says Tesco's Corporate Affairs Manager Eva Karasová.
Karasová mentions phones supporting two SIM cards or touch screen phones for prices at below Euros120.
Other retailers find the same is true for their customers. Alza.cz, a prominent e-tailer, finds that customers are happy with Chinese mainland-made mobile phones, with their quality improving over the past two years.
Alza.cz sells Chinese phones under the Emgeton, Mivvy, MyPhone, Evolve and Aligator names.
Another segment of the Czech market is opening up: Marketa Hyksova, Product Manager of consumer wholesaler Datram, says: "we would like to focus on mobile phones for seniors, those that are easier to handle, easier to see, or easier to hear - a simpler cell phone."
Datram is talking to suppliers in Hong Kong and on the Mainland.
from Ivona Taborska, Prague Consultant
(Image courtesy of Jessica Peterson/Getty Images)
