Sharp’s Taiwan branch has announced that it has invested NT$546.88 million (US$17.98 million) in local retail chain Aurora Telecom, acquiring a 34% share in the business according to the Taipei Times.
(left to right) Sharp Taiwan’s Zhang Kaijie and Aurora Telecom’s Liao Qingzhang
The deal has been signed with a view to boosting brand recognition and promotion of Sharp’s products in the Taiwan market. Sharp electronics will now be sold at 150 Aurora Telecom bricks-and-mortar stores throughout the country.
The company will also gain access to Aurora’s customer base and embrace its O2O (online to offline) marketing strategy.
Analyst Comment
Foxconn has tried before to develop its own retail channel. It’s clear that the company has been trying for some time to move to something more like the Samsung vertically-integrated model. (BR)
