ASUS aims to set up 12 more franchisee-owned ROG stores across India

In order to strengthen its offline retail footprint, ASUS is planning to build 12 more franchisee-owned ''Republic of Gamers'' (ROG) Exclusive stores across India. Taiwanese tech major utilizes these franchise-owned outlets for selling products and for users to experience games and devices.

With this move, ASUS aims to grow the gaming ecosystem in India and help potential buyers experience the products. The firm currently has eight such gaming cafes in cities such as Chennai, Bengaluru and Delhi.

Arnold Su, Business Head of Consumer and Gaming PC (System Business Group), ASUS India, said, “We have eight ROG Exclusive stores right now, and while we had plans to ramp this up aggressively, the COVID-19 pandemic slowed us a bit. However, we are still bullish on the whole concept. This model not only helps us reach new customers but also helps us in building the gaming ecosystem in the country.”

By the second quarter of 2021, ASUS looks to increase the number of outlets to 20. This expansion will be targeted in cities including Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Chennai and Bengaluru.

“By the year-end, we should have 13-14 operational stores. We are following strict safety and sanitation measures at these outlets. While a lion's share of gaming-related purchases happens online, we feel it is also important to let consumers experience the devices and get an immersive experience,” he stated.

Arnold added, “In 2016, the gaming PC market was about 40,000 units annually. This has grown significantly and sales of gaming PCs are expected to be around 1 lakh units per quarter in 2020. For ASUS, the gaming segment already accounts for 20 per cent of the volume of our consumer PC business and is growing at a strong pace.”

In India, the company is eyeing to garner the market share of 40% in the gaming PC market by Q4 2021.