Nokia opens Asia’s first Flagship Store in Hong Kong

Adds premium concept to 165 Nokia stores and over 45 000 retail outlets in China

July 17, 2006 - Hong Kong- Nokia today announced the grand opening of the first Nokia Flagship Store in Asia. Located on Russell Street, Causeway Bay, the Nokia Flagship Store is prominently positioned in one of the most prestigious shopping districts in Hong Kong. In addition to showcasing the complete portfolio of Nokia products and services, the Flagship Store allows customers to fully experience cutting-edge mobile technology in a comfortable, stylish and interactive environment. The first Nokia Flagship store was opened in the Moscow, Russia in December 2005. Nokia aims to open 18 Nokia Flagship Stores in the "shopping capitals" -- high-traffic urban settings in major markets worldwide.

The Flagship store adds a premium concept to Nokia’s leading retail presence in China, which today includes 165 exclusively Nokia branded stores, rolled out since year 2000, and Nokia presence in over 45 000 retail outlets in China

"Hong Kong is a perfect window for Nokia to showcase the flagship store concept in Asia. It allows us to offer unique mobile experiences and inspirations for our customers in the region" said Colin Giles, Senior Vice President, Customers and Markets Operation, China Area. "Nokia is committed to pushing the boundaries of the retail landscape. By doing so, we could enhance the way mobile communication is experienced and further reinforce our vision of ’Life Goes Mobile’"

"With a mobile subscription rate of over 125%*, consumers in Hong Kong are highly sophisticated and are looking beyond standalone devices for a converged mobile experience. The Nokia Flagship Store features various ’experience counters’ in areas including music, imaging, connectivity and business solutions, allowing customers to experience the many benefits of mobility and digital convergence for themselves" said Bruce Lam, General Manager for Customers, Market & Operations, Mobile Phones, Nokia Hong Kong.

Each Flagship Store is distinctively crafted and enhanced by state-of-the-art multimedia displays. These displays offer a highly interactive and intuitive medium to walk guests through the features and benefits of a wide range of Nokia products. It can even allow customers to send text messages for display on Nokia Flagship Store locations around the world.

Additionally, all Nokia Flagship Store team members are highly trained graduates of Nokia’s award-winning Nokia Academy program. They will provide customers with accurate and personalized guidance on topics ranging from choosing the perfect phone, to applying and maxmizing the functionality of the latest mobile devices.

"Customer focus is at the heart of our strategy and the Nokia Flagship Store enables us to increase our focus at the retail level" explains Cliff Crosbie, Director, Global Retail and Trade Marketing. "By delivering an exceptional shopping experience unique to the current retail world, we are able to develop more intimate one-to-one customer relationships, gauge feedback and discover valuable insights for continuous products and services enhancements"

The Nokia Flagship Stores will form the top end of Nokia’s newly revised retail strategy that includes retail and operator partners and their more than 300,000 retail outlets globally. All of these customer outlets will remain essential to Nokia’s ongoing success and continue to be the main sales channels in the future. The feedback and learnings received through the Flagship stores will be shared and implemented with Nokia’s retail and operator partners.

*Source: Office of the Telecommunications Authority, Hong Kong (OFTA), April 2006

About Nokia
Nokia is a world leader in mobile communications, driving the growth and sustainability of the broader mobility industry. Nokia connects people to each other and the information that matters to them with easy-to-use and innovative products like mobile phones, devices and solutions for imaging, games, media and businesses. Nokia provides equipment, solutions and services for network operators and corporations.

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Nokia, Hong Kong

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