Canon India banks on retail expansion

Subbalakshmi B. M

Bangalore: With an aim to garner greater market share in the digital imaging
space, Canon India would increase focus on retail expansion in India. On the
anvil is setting up of more retail outlets across the country to enable
customers get a feel of the products before actual buying. According to Parveen
Sahni, Assistant Director, ICP, Canon, India, “We have been growing very well
in the digital imaging market and in order to garner more market space, we are
targeting retail chains in India. We will get more aggressive and set up retail
outlets where customers can get hands-on experience of our product before
actually buying. Apart from retail chains, we would also focus on helping our
partners to push our imaging and communication products further in the market
and drive more business through them.”

Continuing its focus on the lifestyle segment with its high-end camera brand
IXUS, Canon India plans to establish Digital IXUS zones across the retail scape,
in various parts of the country starting from Delhi. According to Sahni, “At
the IXUS zone we would showcase the IXUS range of cameras in a stylish display
unit. This IXUS zone has a jewel case that showcases the IXUS range of cameras.
These units will be installed across all major national retail chains, city
retail chains and consumer electronic outlets, photo shops and IT retail shops
in the country. IXUS zones would offer customers a buying experience which
complements the lifestyle brand IXUS.”

Canon plans to set up a total of 100 such zones in the key outlets across
Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Gurgaon, Ludhiana and
Pune.

The company would expand its retail presence under two categories —
flagship stores and retail chains which include national and city retail chains
and also get aggressive in the tier-II cities, Sahni indicated.

As part of its retail initiative, Canon India has launched the new Canon Edge
Programme, a scheme for professional customers to buy Canon Digital SLR Cameras
from authorized Canon dealers. This new offer is targeted at photographers who
are looking at upgrading their cameras, as well as amateur photographers. “The
highlight of this program is that the photographers who buy canon cameras are
entitled for one-day workshop on professional photography after which they would
be given certifications. We have tied up with a couple of photographic
institutes for this purpose. As an extension of this programme, we would set up
Professional Centers in Chennai and Kolkata and launch a whole new range of our
products soon,” Sahni said.

He further added, “The second phase of the Canon Edge Programme would be
launched in 2008 and in this phase we would bring together all professionals on
a common platform by organizing events, exhibitions and workshops for them and
enable discussions on various issues of concern. We would also participate in
events like exhibitions to encourage young and upcoming photographers.”

Stressing that South was an important market for Canon, Sahni said they would
conduct more regional channel-based programs for partners in the region. As part
of their strategy to decentralize operations, Canon India would also set up
regional centers in the South and appoint regional heads that would help grow
the market share further. “A new initiative that we are proposing to begin is
to involve our partners in the South in all our decision making processes and
discuss vital issues before a product launch. We plan to hold such partner
meetings once every quarter,” he added.