VietNamNet Bridge – FPT, VinaPhone and Viettel have all said they would be
the authorized distributors of iPhone products. Meanwhile, sources said FPT
would be the exclusive distributor of the Apple’s products. The contradictory
information is just the tip of the implicit cutthroat competition among the
mobile phone retailers in Vietnam.
The race for the right to distribute iPhones in Vietnam has become more strained
when FPT, the Vietnamese biggest technology group, decided to jump on the
bandwagon.
No official information about the FPT’s marketing admission, but sources said
FPT’s capability is powerful enough to “re-draw the iPhone distribution market
in Vietnam”.
The name FPT has appeared continuously on all local newspapers these days. On
April 16, the HCM City Stock Exchange sent a dispatch to FPT, asking it to
clarify the information.
A senior executive of FPT said the information was not officially released by
the group. He simply said that FPT would make official announcement once the two
sides (meaning FPT and Apple) reach an agreement on the issue.
Meanwhile, Ngo Quoc Bao, Director of FPT Retail, has denied the information that
FPT would be the exclusive distributor of iPhones in Vietnam.
The rumor has also petrified VinaPhone and Viettel, which said that they have
signed the contracts with Apple on distributing iPhone products.
As such, it is more likely that FPT would become the third distributor of iPhone
products in Vietnam.
FPT, while having denied the news that it would act as the exclusive
distributor, still has left the question if it would obtain the right to
distribute iPhones unanswered.
A mobile phone retailer has revealed that he has signed a contract with FPT on
the distribution of a consignment of iPhones. However, he said, the number of
products is limited, because FPT, to some extend, would prioritize its FShop
chain.
The iPhone’s with the stamps of the distributor – FPT – have reached to retail
shops, while the training courses for the sale of the products have been
provided in a large scale by Apple, according to the retailer.
The thing that FPT needs to do now is to choose prestigious retailers. Mai
Nguyen, The Gioi Di Dong, Vien Thong A, Nguyen Kim and FPT will surely sell FPT-distributed
iPhone products.
In general, Apple usually distributes iPhones through mobile network operators.
In Vietnam, VinaPhone and Viettel, two of the 3 biggest network operators have
been distributing iPhone since 2010. Meanwhile, FPT and iCenter have been
selling iPhones sourced from the two network operators.
Experts have noted that in Vietnam, users do not have the habit of buying mobile
phones integrated with telecommunication service packages like in other
countries.
Both VinaPhone and Viettel are mobile network operators, not the distributors.
Therefore, they have met some difficulties in distributing the products. This
explains why most of the iPhones available in Vietnam so far are from unofficial
sources.
The high demand from the Vietnamese users and the boisterous market has prompted
Vietnamese enterprises to run the race to obtain the right to distribute iPhones
in the country.
In late 2012, BrighStar also got the right to distribute iPhones. However,
BrighStar could only distribute iPhone 3GS. Meanwhile, iPhone 4S were welcomed
more warmly. To date, the company still has not got any new distribution
contract with Apple.
Doanh Nhan