Foxconn to open retail stores in China
Foxconn, the world’s largest electronics manufacturer, has plans to open as many as 10,000 retail locations in China, according to China Daily. That’s a hell of a plan, considering they have virtually zero current retail presence.
The stores will likely be host to the products Foxconn produces, including the iPhone and the Nintendo Wii. As Michael Arrington has it, the stores will also be used to drum up additional business from companies like HP and Dell, with promises of retail presence at the new locations.
If anything, I’m surprised Foxconn would limit itself to third-party (sort of) offerings. Why not go into retail with its own products, at its own prices. China Daily claims the company accounts for nearly 4% of Taiwan’s total exports, more than $55 billion worth. Most people think that’s a gross undervaluation. The real export figure could be as high as $100 billion.