It sells mainly consumer electronics and has 15 million users and distribution facilities in almost 60 cities.

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All major electronics firms sell them, mainly as a matter of corporate pride: not to do so would be a sign of weakness.

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In response it made a succession of foreign deals, mainly in Europe, in its area of electronics and engineering, with the main aim of gaining know-how and better products.

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Aside from tiny operations in China (to make gaming electronics for Macau casinos) and Canada (mainly scoreboards), this is the first big manufacturing expansion outside of Brookings.

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Samsung Electronics has forecast a 53% jump in profit for the first three months of the year, boosted mainly by growing smartphone sales.

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