Top retailer plunges into low-priced mobile phone sales

E-Mart, Korea`s largest discount store chain, plunges into low-priced mobile phone sales market after its rival, Homeplus, began selling such phones in March. The retailers can offer mobile phones at low prices as they rent telecommunication networks from large service providers.

E-Mart said Friday that it began to sell low-priced mobile phones through its 100-odd outlets across the country.

The local telecom industry believes that E-Mart can bring about a seismic change in the domestic mobile phone market, as the retailer has a national sales network and solid customer base and is capable of trying various marketing strategies such as linking shopping with telecom services. For instance, the retailer can allow customers to pay phone bills with their shopping mileages. E-Mart reportedly plans to expand its mobile phone sales outlets each year.

There is increasing customer interest in low-priced mobile phone services amid an economic slump. As of the end of August, the number of subscribers to low-priced mobile phone services surpassed two million.