CounterPoint: Chinese brands accounted for 65% of the Colombian smartphone market in Q2 2021

Chinese brands currently dominate the Colombian smartphone market, accounting for more than 65% of the market share, and four of the top five brands are from China. The leader among them is Xiaomi, whose market share exceeded 26% in the second quarter of 2021.

Commenting on the competitive landscape, research analyst Andres Silva said: “Xiaomi’s growth is the result of the brand’s aggressive approach to end customers. Since entering Colombia in 2018, the brand has opened 12 flagship stores in different regions. In addition, the company has strong partnerships with all the major operators in the market.”

Although technically a Chinese brand of Lenovo, Motorola is considered an American brand by many Colombian consumers. Its shipments ranked second in the second quarter of 2021, up 27% from the second quarter of 2020. Affected by fierce competition from new Chinese brands such as vivo and TECNO, the company is fighting back by strengthening its marketing mechanisms in operators and retail channels.

Vivo is the third Chinese brand. Its Y series models have been successful in Colombia and increased its market share to 5% in the second quarter of 2021. Vivo has been following a unique strategy since entering Colombia. In 2020, Vivo cooperated with operators and focused on online sales.

TECNO has included Colombia as part of its deployment covering Africa, the Middle East, Southeast Asia and South Asia. Online sales channels and strategic partnerships with local distributors in major cities in Colombia enabled it to achieve a 3% market share in the second quarter of 2021.