Realme P4 Series Up to Rs 6000 Cheaper Online, Retailers Say Trust Eroding as Sales Fall Over 60 Percent

The All India Mobile Retailers Association (AIMRA) has accused smartphone brand Realme of selling its P4 series models at lower prices online. The gap is up to Rs 6000, and because of it, customers who come to shops feel cheated and their trust in stores falls.

AIMRA founder chairman Kailash Lakhyani shared the prices of Realme P4 series models on Flipkart and in mainline stores with NBT Tech. AIMRA represents more than 1.5 lakh mainline mobile retailers across the country, and its chairman has expressed concern over the persistent price gap between online and mainline retail.

Lakhyani said that every time, retailers are only given assurances that Realme is working to solve the problem, but the ground reality is different. He said Realme is prioritising online channels through the P series, where prices are deliberately kept low.

Store customers feel cheated, says AIMRA

When customers who visit mainline stores learn that P4 series models are available much cheaper online, they feel cheated and their trust in shops drops immediately, according to AIMRA. The association said Realme P4 series models are available up to Rs 6000 cheaper online, especially on Flipkart.

AIMRA questioned why Realme struggles to manage prices when brands like Vivo, Oppo and Motorola keep prices uniform across all channels. If those brands can do it, the association asked, why is it so difficult for Realme?

Sales down over 60 percent in October

AIMRA said that in recent meetings, mainline retailers from across India said in one voice that Realme's sales fell by more than 60 percent this October compared to last year. The association said this is the result of the company's wrong strategies.

According to AIMRA, trust in the brand is falling among both retailers and customers. Rumours of Realme's merger with Oppo have made the situation worse, the association said.

Customers are also moving away because the prices of many of the company's entry-level models are equal to or higher than direct competitors like Vivo. The combination of the online price gap, falling sales and merger rumours has created what AIMRA calls a trust crisis for Realme.