Tiago Flores

The challenge began as soon as he accepted to join the Xiaomi family, in April 2021. Doubly so as this Chinese brand is a worldwide name in the field of innovation and technology. As time goes by, Tiago Flores, 46, Country Director of Xiaomi in Portugal, feels increasingly confident, "due to the quality of our products and our values, which include innovation, fair price and digital inclusion.” Within the household appliances segment, there are plenty of reasons to believe that, in the future, which starts today, life will be increasingly connected and facilitated. And, of course, this will all be through Artificial Intelligence.

We are becoming more and more technological. We delegate more and more tasks to robots. Where will this lead us, in terms of good and bad?
The greater connectivity of our homes brings several benefits, but I would highlight two: time and convenience. Xiaomi’s global business strategy involves developing the Smartphone x AIoT relationship, that is to say, the confluence of artificial intelligence with the Internet of Things and the smartphone and the benefit that this relationship can have on people’s lives. The smartphone is thus a hub where we can control all our connected devices in a simple way, that is to say, through an application, such as Mi Home.
There are benefits at various levels in having a more connected life, and Portuguese consumers are realising the convenience resulting from this digital transformation. By being able to remotely control electronic equipment, you can create scenarios for various stages of the day, in which the coordination of equipment saves time in the management of daily life. For example, when I leave home, I can create a scenario in which the robot vacuum cleaner starts vacuuming the house, the air purifier turns on and the lights are turned off and I can ensure, for example, that my pets are fed at the right times. The scenarios are endless and tailor-made for us. 

What are the company’s plans in Portugal for the next five years?
Xiaomi is the most connected brand in the world and we want to bring that connectivity to Portugal, so the strategy is to increase Xiaomi product categories in the national market and reinforce the investment in key categories, such as smartphones. One of Xiaomi’s essential pillars is to bring to the consumers the most innovative technology at an affordable price, and that is what we will continue to work on. Democratising access to technology, bringing it into the home and into the lives of families - allowing them to reduce the worries and the time they lose in certain daily tasks is our great focus and we know that this is also how the market sees Xiaomi. 

Smartphones, home appliances, scooters and, now, there are even products dedicated exclusively to animals. In which market does Xiaomi still want to invest?
Xiaomi’s global strategy and its unique positioning bring an added responsibility in the continuity of innovation and in building the benefits that really matter to the consumer. It is with this sense of continuity in innovation that Xiaomi has an active participation in more than 360 companies and counts on investing more than $14 billion in R&D over the next five years. This stance allows us to be in constant contact with the search for technological disruption and we expect to bring many innovations in the connected experience.

"Xiaomi is the second favourite brand of the Portuguese in consumer electronics”

Within the home technology segment, what innovations are causing a stir?
In the last year alone, there have been several new products in this area, which have received great feedback from consumers. Among the various examples, we can highlight the vacuum cleaner Mi Robot Vacuum-Mop 2 Ultra, which has an auto empty station for greater convenience and with a capacity equivalent to ten cleanings and highly efficient LDS laser navigation, which allows you to accurately detect and map the layout of any space, and this equipment can clean up to 240 sqm with a single charge. It is a robot with powerful suction and three mops that provide the best results even on the toughest stains. I would also highlight our Air Fryers, which have been a great success in Portugal, where healthy eating is increasingly a trend - this product allows you to quickly fry food with less oil and low-fat content. Through its intelligent scheduling system, it is possible to pre-set the fryer to start cooking when you are on your way home, so that when you get home your meal is almost ready.  

How much has this area of the company (home) grown in recent years and what is the main objective of continuing to invest in this area?
In Portugal, we are feeling an increase in interest in home automation and process automation products, features of a true Smart Home, and the smartphone is the contact hub for that connectivity. In terms of sales volumes, it will come as no surprise that the smartphone category has a slice of just over 50%, with the other half being divided by all the other products in the ecosystem. Within the ecosystem, we have the wearables category with the highest portion, around 35%, followed by the AIoT (Smart Home) product category with around 20% and 18% in audio products. Our TV category was introduced later and has performed impressively, and this year we expect this category to increase its share. Our vision is to bring this whole connected world, as there is an increasing demand for these products, because the benefits are indeed very different and help in everyday life.

"It is important to stress that, as a company, we are on the path to carbon neutrality”

With so much competition, how do you manage to stand out from the rest? What is the secret of the brand’s growth in Portugal?
Xiaomi is only 12 years old. Despite being very young, it has been registering consistent growth and an increasingly fortified global reach. We believe that our user base stands out for its "Xiaomi Fans”, a large global community of passionate users, who are intensely loyal to the brand, highly committed to our platform and actively contribute to improving our products and services. We have positioned ourselves as wanting to be our consumers’ best friends and deliver them the best technology at fair prices. This is one of the pillars that defines Xiaomi. This positioning is welcomed by the consumer, who ends up becoming an ambassador for Xiaomi and an active agent for product recommendation. 
In Portugal, Xiaomi is a brand that has a very positive reputation. According to a recent study by Multidados, Xiaomi is the second favourite brand of the Portuguese in consumer electronics and this reflects that those who try the brand’s products are very satisfied.

How does Xiaomi deal with the issue of sustainability, at a time when the recycling of technology is discussed so much?
We are aware of our obligation to be even more environmentally friendly and to keep our products and materials in use for as long as possible. We have therefore been working on a range of sustainability measures that include optimising our distribution routes, reusing packaging in logistics, increasing the longevity of products, using less energy and water in our packaging, including having plastic-free packaging and actively working on the circular economy.
It is important to stress that, as a company, we are on the path to carbon neutrality and making a greater contribution to the circular economy through innovation across the value chain. It is a journey we are fully committed to.