Dell plans China expansion: state media

The group aims to set up over 1,000 retail centres in China this year that will showcase its products and applications for commercial and personal use, the Global Times said, citing Dell Greater China President Yang Chao.

It also plans to establish 1,000 after-sale maintenance outlets in small Chinese cities, doubling the number of such facilities the world's second largest PC maker has built up over the past years, Yang said.

Dell's market share in China, which has an online population of 457 million, fell to 7.5 percent in the fourth quarter of 2010 from 10 percent in the three months to September, the report said, citing figures from research firm IDC.

Taiwan's Acer has overtaken the US giant to take second place in the Chinese market, while Chinese computer maker Lenovo remained the top vendor with a 32.2 percent share, it added.

But Yang said he was confident about Dell's performance in the country this year, counting on strong demand from Chinese consumers, particularly those in smaller cities and rural areas, according to the report.

The company will roll out its smart devices in China later this year, with tablet computers and smartphones tailored for the market to be showcased at a technology forum in Beijing in April, he added.

(c) 2011 AFP