Xiao Mi
These seemingly simple ten tier-one cities encompass almost all of the wealthiest provinces in the country, holding significant strategic importance.
Once captured and market share secured, this first wave of wealth would be reaped.
Future investments would be gradually increased based on production speed and market response, aiming to cover all parts of the country as soon as possible.
The reason for not rolling out nationwide was twofold: first, current production capacity was insufficient, and second, many cities and regions might not be able to afford entertainment products that cost hundreds of yuan.
Tier-one cities were different. People there had high incomes and broad horizons, making them eager to enjoy the happiness brought by new things.
To ensure a resounding success, Qin Chuan even specially trained a professional team to go to these ten tier-one cities to provide on-site technical guidance.
If any technical issues arose, the staff would resolve them immediately.
Transport trucks, carrying the hopes of all employees of the Xiao Mi factory, departed from Longcheng and headed to various parts of the country.
Longcheng, as the headquarters of the Xiao Mi factory, not only produced the crucial chips but also handled the final assembly.
All cooperating manufacturers would send their parts, which would then be assembled and sold nationwide from Longcheng.
With all preparations complete, the long-awaited sales day arrived!
Given the numerous sales locations, Qin Chuan, as the boss, couldn't be in ten places at once. He decided to stay put in Longcheng.
As a local enterprise, Longcheng had been decorated with colorful flags for days, with Xiao Mi factory slogans plastered on streets and tall buildings.
The entire city of Longcheng was almost dominated by the Xiao Mi factory.
Posters of Fan Binbin, the pure and captivating goddess, were everywhere.
Whether pedestrians or passers-by, anyone who glanced at them would be drawn to the beautiful girl in the poster, often stopping for a long while.
Longcheng South Heaven Market, the largest electronics mall.
Early in the morning, it was already crowded with people gathered outside the market, many of them young men and women.
The promotion for Xiao Mi MP3s here was at its peak, densely plastered everywhere, a veritable bombardment, ensuring that even those who didn't intend to buy would firmly remember the name Xiao Mi MP3.
At precisely eight in the morning, as the market opened, a massive crowd surged in, heading directly for a very prominent and expansive counter at the market entrance.
This was the dedicated counter for Xiao Mi MP3s, marked by a simple yet clear "Mi" logo.
Unlike other cities, this counter was directly operated by the Xiao Mi factory.
The Xiao Mi MP3 launch featured a single product model, but with three storage capacities: 128MB, 256MB, and the highest at 512MB.
There were also three color options: Pearl Silver White, Olive Green, and Crimson Red.
Current memory card technology had only been developing for a couple of years, with no technology exceeding 1GB on the market yet, unlike later generations with tens or hundreds of gigabytes.
Different storage capacities naturally meant different prices.
188, 288, 388!
These were the prices corresponding to the three storage sizes.
By current standards, these prices were not low, considering the average monthly salary was only three to four hundred yuan, with some reaching six to seven hundred yuan at most.
An MP3 player would consume nearly half a month's salary, making many reluctant to purchase.
However, since it was an exclusive product with only one manufacturer in the country, the pricing power rested entirely with the Xiao Mi factory.
Nonetheless, this price was considered fair and just. In Gaoli (Korea), where the MP3 was first developed, an MP3 player cost tens or even hundreds of yuan more.
In Meilijian (America), the prices were even higher, making the Xiao Mi factory's pricing quite reasonable.
"Excuse me, is this where you sell MP3 players?"
A young girl was the first to reach the counter and asked crisply.
"Yes, madam, this is the dedicated counter for Xiao Mi MP3s."
The staff, wearing the same uniform, replied enthusiastically.
"The units displayed in the counter are the latest Xiao Mi MP3s developed by our Xiao Mi factory. This is our country's first MP3 player. Apart from the LCD screen, which is from Samsung, all other components are developed independently by us."
"After over one hundred thousand tests, our products, in terms of performance, quality control, and appearance, have surpassed those from Gaoli and Meilijian by more than thirty percent, and the price is even lower than theirs."
"Here is our promotional brochure, please take a look."
The staff handed over an exquisite brochure.
"Give me a brochure too!"
"Me too!"
"And me..."
The surrounding audience, seeing this, reached out to request brochures, and the staff distributed the exquisite materials one by one.
"Since today is our opening day, and it's a local product, any customer purchasing a Xiao Mi MP3 product today will receive an additional ten percent discount on the original promotional price!"
"This promotion is exclusive to Longcheng; other cities do not have this discount. This was specifically instructed by our boss, a special offer for the residents of Longcheng!"
"Furthermore, all purchasers can return with their invoices this afternoon at five o'clock to participate in a lucky draw."
"Our prizes are very generous. The first prize is a plasma television worth eight thousand eight hundred and eighty-eight yuan, the second prize is a refrigerator, and the third prize is a rice cooker. In addition to these, there are many smaller prizes. We guarantee that every prize will be awarded."
As the staff finished speaking, the surrounding customers' eyes lit up with eager anticipation.
"Additionally, we have dedicated computers set up here. For every product purchased from us, our staff will help you download different songs from the computer onto your memory card for free."
The customers turned their heads and noticed that a computer was indeed placed nearby, with staff members overseeing it.
"Are the promotions really this great? I'll take one!"
"Me too!"
"Your boss is truly generous. Just for his effort, I must buy one!"
"Yes, I've long heard that the boss of Xiao Mi factory is from Jin Province. As expected, fellow provincials are indeed good and look after their own."
...
Qin Chuan and Fang Rumei arrived at the mall around noon.
With Xiao Mi MP3 officially launching today, there were too many matters to attend to, leaving them no time to spare until this moment.
As they alighted from the car and entered the mall, they immediately saw a dense crowd gathered around their counter.
The staff were extremely busy attending to every customer, many of them sweating profusely, indicating a heavy workload.
Upon seeing this, the two exchanged a knowing glance, both seeing a flicker of joy in each other's eyes.
"Come, let's quietly go and take a look."
Fang Rumei tugged Qin Chuan's arm.
The two squeezed through the crowd with difficulty and saw the counter staff busy introducing products, issuing invoices, and downloading songs.
After observing for a few minutes, they quietly left. Qin Chuan instructed, "Later, have others come over quickly to relieve them, take turns, so at least they can have time to eat."
Fang Rumei nodded, her expression unusually excited, "I've already made arrangements."
"We've also received calls from Beijing, Yangcheng, Pengcheng, Rongcheng, and other places. They all report that sales are booming and there's no need for our own people to act as decoys."
Qin Chuan breathed a sigh of relief, "That's for the best. We'll know today's actual sales performance tonight!"
"Only with a strong opening like this can we have the leverage to negotiate with those cunning dealers later."