A "global strategic alliance" with 3 Group owner CK Hutchison brings Xiaomi to European markets, with products initially available at 3 Group stores in Austria, Denmark, Ireland, Italy, Sweden and the UK.
As the two companies put it, the alliance helps accelerate the international expansion of Xiaomi. CK Hutchinson counts over 17700 retail and telecom stores worldwide, around 130 million active mobile customers and 140 million retail customers. As such, the partnership also brings Xiaomi products in Watson Fortress, Superdrug and Kruidvat stores in Ireland, the UK and the Netherlands, and the Chinese company will be collaborating with CK Hutchinson operator channels in European markets.
"As we deepen our international footprint, we are excited to partner with CK Hutchison, which will enable us to deliver on our vision to bring innovation to everyone across the world," Xiaomi says. "I believe our wide range of high-quality, well-designed products at accessible and honest pricing will be warmly welcomed by CK Hutchison’s customers.”
Xiaomi's first attempt at European retail came in 2017 with the opening of a Mi Store in Barcelona, Spain. The store sells a number of Xiaomi flagship smartphones, such as the Mi Mix 2, Mi A1 and Mi Mix. The Chinese company has ambitions to spread out in more locations in the future, including more European countries and, eventually, the US.