Chinese smartphone firms are increasingly relying on Reliance Retail's distribution arm to reach stores in the hinterlands due to a slowdown in online sales. Xiaomi's sub-brand Poco has forged a strategic partnership with Jio Mart Digital to distribute its devices to around 80,000 retail stores across the country. This comes as offline retail channels accounted for 61% of sales in the first quarter of 2024, up from 56% in the previous three-month period. Xiaomi and Transsion saw the fastest growth in the quarter to March.