Samsung's new retail store in Australia has Apple-like appearance
As Apple waits on a jury to decide whether Samsung copied its iPhone and iPad, Samsung has opened a new store in Sydney, Australia, that bears a striking resemblance to Apple's own retail operations.
The new "Samsung Experience Store" is located in Sydney's George Street, just a block from Apple's own retail location. Highlighted on Thursday by The Sydney Morning Herald, the retail location features a glass entrance, employees in blue shirts, and minimalist tables that showcase Samsung's smartphones, tablets and computers.
Though Samsung representatives insist that Apple had nothing to do with the location or the design of its new store. But as author Asher Moses noted, the location is "uncannily Apple-esque."
Tyler McGee, Samsung's vice president of telecommunications in Australia, said the location of Apple's Sydney store "didn't even come into the equation when we were looking for a location." When asked about similarities between the layouts of the Samsung and Apple stores, McGee said the storefront design is "the layout we use around the world, and it's about basically giving the consumers the opportunity to interact, learn and play with our devices."
Samsung came under fire last year for another retail location that featured Apple's App Store and Safari icons on a decorative app wall, but after the story gained traction it was revealed that the app wall inside the store was not commissioned by Samsung, which has a mini-shop inside of a larger Euronics store in Catania, Italy.
The grand opening of the new Samsung store in Sydney comes as a California jury is currently deliberating the patent infringement trial between Samsung and Apple. That legal battle began over a year ago, when Apple first sued Samsung and accused the company of copying the look and feel of the iPhone and iPad.
The new "Samsung Experience Store" is located in Sydney's George Street, just a block from Apple's own retail location. Highlighted on Thursday by The Sydney Morning Herald, the retail location features a glass entrance, employees in blue shirts, and minimalist tables that showcase Samsung's smartphones, tablets and computers.
Though Samsung representatives insist that Apple had nothing to do with the location or the design of its new store. But as author Asher Moses noted, the location is "uncannily Apple-esque."
Tyler McGee, Samsung's vice president of telecommunications in Australia, said the location of Apple's Sydney store "didn't even come into the equation when we were looking for a location." When asked about similarities between the layouts of the Samsung and Apple stores, McGee said the storefront design is "the layout we use around the world, and it's about basically giving the consumers the opportunity to interact, learn and play with our devices."
Samsung came under fire last year for another retail location that featured Apple's App Store and Safari icons on a decorative app wall, but after the story gained traction it was revealed that the app wall inside the store was not commissioned by Samsung, which has a mini-shop inside of a larger Euronics store in Catania, Italy.
The grand opening of the new Samsung store in Sydney comes as a California jury is currently deliberating the patent infringement trial between Samsung and Apple. That legal battle began over a year ago, when Apple first sued Samsung and accused the company of copying the look and feel of the iPhone and iPad.