BENGALURU: Korean technology giant Samsung is betting big on online to offline ( O2O ) commerce as it fights for supremacy against Chinese rivals in India ’s intensely competitive smartphone market “We strongly believe that the future is O2O commerce, since the consumer touches both offline and online platforms during his purchase cycle,” Samsung India senior vice-president Mohandeep Singh told ETtech. “The offline channel is important from an experience point of view while the online channel is important from a convenience perspective. Hence, we will continue to invest in both online and offline channels.”Through this model, Samsung will be able to give the benefits of offline and online platforms to the consumer while growing both the channels at the same time, Singh said, adding that they are working with ecommerce players on various O2O models in the country.On Tuesday, Samsung opened its largest mobile experience store in the world in Bengaluru, which will showcase its entire range of smartphones, wearable devices, audio products and accessories alongside some of its flagship consumer electronics products like televisions and refrigerators. It will also house a fully functional service centre for smartphones.The store, spanning across 33,000 sq ft at the iconic Opera House in Bengaluru, will also showcase latest innovations in areas like artificial intelligence, virtual reality and internet of things and enable consumers to experience these technologies through differentiated product experiences.“We have reached a point in our brand journey where we need to engage our consumers at a different level. Samsung Opera House is at the top of the pyramid in terms of offline formats and we want to create more such stores in some of India’s top 10 cities,” Singh said.He said this store will also enable them to showcase some of their ‘Made for India’ product experiences like the ultra data saving mode on its midrange smartphones or the camera enhancements on its flagship smartphones, both of which were developed at the company’s R&D unit in Bengaluru. “Samsung Opera House is a big milestone in our India journey that started 23 years ago,” said HC Hong, CEO at Samsung Southwest Asia. “We have curated never before seen experiences at the store since today’s millennials seek unique experiences. It will also organise workshops, activities and events, bringing together Samsung’s innovations with people’s passions.”