Xiaomi Auto said it opened six new retail outlets in February, a modest but deliberate step in building the physical sales and service network needed to support its growing electric-vehicle business.
The expansion comes as Xiaomi pushes to convert strong brand recognition in consumer electronics into car sales, where test drives, after-sales service and local trust are more dependent on brick-and-mortar presence than smartphone purchases. Physical stores also serve as visible customer-acquisition points for higher-value models and for owners seeking repairs, software updates and charging solutions.
The store openings arrive alongside several milestones Xiaomi has publicly highlighted: the company says its active-safety features have cumulatively prevented around 1.4 million potential collisions so far this month, its assisted-driving fleet has logged in excess of 100 million kilometres, and the business has flagged large delivery numbers over the Lunar New Year period. Xiaomi has also emphasised heavy investment in safety, including a workforce of more than 3,500 people devoted to safety and related engineering.
That messaging addresses both commercial and regulatory imperatives. Chinese EVmakers face intense scrutiny after high-profile incidents and recalls; a local service footprint helps firms respond quickly to faults and manage public relations. Xiaomi’s leadership has publicly argued that automakers must handle post-accident information disclosure carefully, a sign of the sensitivity surrounding safety communication.
Compared with incumbents, Xiaomi’s retail roll-out remains cautious. Legacy automakers and established EV startups employ a range of models — from direct-sales showrooms to franchised dealerships and hub-and-spoke service networks — and Xiaomi needs to balance rapid coverage against capital and operating costs. The company’s consumer-brand cachet gives it an initial demand advantage, but sustaining margins in a hardware-heavy business requires efficient stores and dependable after-sales operations.
For international observers, the six-store announcement is less about scale and more about signal: Xiaomi is moving from a technology-first, online-centric posture to a hybrid model that privileges physical touchpoints. How quickly and profitably it builds out that network will influence its competitiveness in China’s congested EV market and inform whether the company can translate smartphone-era loyalty into long-term automotive market share.