Owned stores are in!

Household appliances makers, both domestic and foreign, are now investing in exclusive retail outlets on the mainland to beat dwindling margins and low visibility from selling their wares at big-format electronic retailers, chiefly Gome and Suning.

The move has been undertaken more as a means to help these appliance makers enhance their brand value and awareness among Chinese consumers, rather than giving them a quick leg-up in competition against organized retail chains, analysts said.

In March, Bosch Siemens invested 4 million yuan in a 210-sq-m store in the bustling commercial area of Nanjing.