Russia’s Svyaznoy to get back Samsung devices on shelves by Feb

MOSCOW, Jan 24 (PRIME) -- Russian multi-channel retailer Svyaznoy will resume sales of Samsung products by the end of January both in its online store and brick-and-mortar outlets, the chain said Tuesday.

“Svyaznoy will offer buyers smartphones, including the flagship Galaxy S7 and S7 edge, tablets, smartwatches, VR glasses and accessories of the (South Korean) brand…Devices of the brand will be available for citizens of 950 cities where Svyaznoy works,” the company said.

The retailer expects the move to add at least 10% to its revenue from smartphones and tablets and raise its market share as of the end of 2017.

“We also think the return of Samsung to Svyaznoy will become one of the most important drivers of development of the whole mobile device market in Russia in 2017,” the retailer’s General Director Yevgeny Davydovich said.

Svyaznoy along with its competitor Euroset and retail chains of mobile operators MegaFon and VimpelCom stopped purchasing Samsung smartphones and tablets in the middle of 2015 referring to a high level of defective goods. Samsung, however, said less than 1% of its devices can malfunction.

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