MANILA, Philippines — Japanese electronic brand Sony on Wednesday opened the doors to its first dedicated accessory store in the Philippines as it poses for further growth in the local market amid a disappointing year of losses for the entire company.
The Sony accessory flagship store, located at the former Sony VAIO store at the Cyberzone area in SM Megamall, will be carrying exclusive accessories for Sony’s VAIO, Handycam, Cybershot and Walkman product lines.
A Sony Philippines executive said the accessory store would eventually carry accessories for the company’s mobile division, which recently folded back to the mother company following the acquisition of Ericsson’s shares in the former joint venture.
The latest Sony mobile phones will be formally launched in the Philippines by mid-April.
During earlier launch of new Sony gadgets and devices meant for the summer season, executives noted how the common complaint of customers about Sony products is that their accessories are hard to find and that the service centers are not easily accessible to customers.
Takao Kuroda, Sony Philippines president and managing director, said the accessory store was opened precisely to address those concerns, as it also acts as a collection point for service centers as well as a venue where interested customers could learn more about the company’s products.
“It really is a one-stop shop for Sony enthusiasts,” Kuroda said. “Whether shopping for new accessories and gadgets or bringing them in to be fixed, you can do it all in this branch.”
The store will offer Sony Premium Services which have yet to be offerred in other outlets of the company, executives said, which include programs such as get-me-started services, consumer workshops, as well as one-on-one consultations with in-store specialists.
Examples of consumer workshops includes the currently on-going classes about Sony’s Alpha series of digital cameras, the first in a series of product seminars the vendor is planning to roll out to familiarize customers with the products’ features.
Sony Philippines Director for Channel & Accounts Management Yung Yap said that aside from the accessory store, they are planning on opening two stores in Metro Manila dedicated to the Alpha series in the near future.
“Opening the flagship store is really just the start for us. We plan to bring Sony even closer to its customers and provide them with the best service possible,” he stressed.
source: interaksyon.com
