Nokia shuts down flagship China store amid waning sales

PanARMENIAN.Net - Nokia has shut down its flagship retail store in Shanghai amid dwindling sales across China, Digital Spy said.

The Finnish manufacturer has been struggling to compete with market leaders including Apple and Samsung in the territory, as well as local companies such as Huawei, ZTE and Lenovo.

Recent estimates suggest that Nokia has slipped down to seventh in the Chinese smartphone market, but the firm will continue to sell its products through third-party retailers in the country.

"Nokia is focusing on growing its presence in operator and third-party retail outlets, rather than through our own physical stores," read a statement from Nokia.

"We are, of course, also continuously beefing up our online presence. With this in mind, our store in Shanghai was closed on March 31."

Nokia was once a global leader in the mobile phone sector, with its Symbian operating system powering more handsets than any other platform, but it has fallen behind since the smartphone era commenced.