Lava ranked as the most trustworthy brand by retailers

According to CyberMedia Research's (CMR) "Retail Sentiment Index 2018, home-grown handset maker Lava has been ranked first by retailers on trustworthiness as well as timely payouts while Samsung stood second.

The report said that the importance of Offline Channels has been underlined in recent times, with many online-only brands also opting to build their offline presence for further growth. When it comes to Offline, the key differentiation point for a smartphone brand is the level of engagement and trust that it empowers its channel partners with.

Satya Mohanty, Head- User Research Practice at CMR added, "Despite the stiff competition from Chinese mobile handset brands, Lava has held its ground in offline retail channels, scoring exceptionally well, alongside Samsung. Our survey findings affirm that Lava has been ranked first by retailers on trustworthiness as well as timely payouts."

"Brands such as Samsung and Lava have consistently focused on Offline as a key priority for them, with a long-term strategy, centered around trust, timely payouts, and transparency in dealings," he added.

As per the CMR Survey findings, the three key parameters of most importance for channel partners, includes sell-out schemes, timely payout, and transparency in dealings.

Prabhu Ram, Head- Industry Intelligence Group (IIG) at CMR said, "The success of a smartphone brand in a volatile and competitive market like India is determined predominantly by a trust with channel partners. What our survey illustrates is that Offline has to be a strategic long-term move, and not merely a kneejerk tactical one. When brands plan and invest in their channel partners, it pays off for them."

Meanwhile, CMR said in another report that, the super premium segment (Rs 50,000) saw Samsung taking top honors ahead of flagships from Apple iPhone and Google Pixel 2. While Apple reigned supreme in 4Q 2017 with the launch of iPhone X and iPhone 8/8Plus, 1Q 2018 saw the shipments of its premium flagships decline by 74 percent.

It said that in the super premium flagships segment, Apple saw its share decline from 82 percent to 25 percent, while Google went from 11 percent to 2 percent, at the end of 1Q 2018, as compared to 4Q 2017.

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Furthermore, In smartphones, Xiaomi remained the clear market leader for three successive quarters with a 150 percent YoY growth in 1Q 2018. 94 percent of the smartphones were Made in India, with 26 percent YoY growth. On the other hand, imports of feature phones grew by 11 percent in market share, as 74 percent of LYF's JioPhones were imported in 1Q 2018.