Sony India gung ho on local sales

Consumer electronics major, Sony, said that the company was aiming at selling 40,000 units of VAIO in Andhra Pradesh this financial year, as against 28,000 units last year.

“We look forward to increasing our market share to 17 per cent in the state this year, from 14 per cent last year,” Sachin Thapar, head (IT and mobiles division), Sony India, said.

From the Rs 90-crore spend earmarked for its nationwide Vaio-related marketing this year, including above-the-line and below-the-line activities encompassing print and television commercials, cinema, outdoor, shop-front and web, the company has allotted Rs 5 crore for Andhra Pradesh, where it has a distribution network of 135 outlets.

Sony is planning to sell 650,000 Vaio units this year, as against 500,000 units last year. The company will also consolidate its distribution network by adding 500 more channel counters, taking the total number to 5,400, it said.

“We are also in the process of adding 15 exclusive Vaio flagship stores this year, to the existing 35,” he said, adding that the contribution of Vaio was expected to rise from 20 per cent to 25 per cent to the overall sales of Sony India in FY12.