Best Buy to give Samsung Apple-esque in-store mini-stores
A number of Best Buy stores will soon feature a special section dedicated to showing off tablets, computers, and smartphones from one of the world's top mobile device manufacturers: Apple's chief competitor, Samsung.
Pictured: The Sydney Samsung Experience Store
Following a path first walked by Apple, Samsung will be getting its own mini-stores inside Best Buy locations, according to Geek.com. Information on what the new Samsung sections of Best Buy's mobile departments will look like is as yet unavailable, but the retailer is said to be preparing a roll-out of Samsung mini-stores in select Best Buy locations in the near future.
The first wave of Samsung stores will be based in high-traffic Best Buy locations and timed to the release of the Samsung's newest flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S4. Those high-traffic locations will soon receive instructions to remove two aisles next to their mobile departments in order to make way for a new Samsung store.
The mini-stores will feature large, Samsung-specific signage and room to demo a number of Samsung products. In addition to the Galaxy S4, Samsung produces a range of other tablets and mobile computers, so the additional space may well be taken up with those wares. A second wave of mini-stores will spring up later in the year, and eventually every Best Buy store will have its own Samsung store inside.
For Best Buy, the move could help further establish the retailer as a player in the mobile segment and reverse trends that have seen Best Buy struggling as consumers increasingly opt for Internet-based shopping. For Samsung, the mini-stores will get its products in front of more eyes and more-importantly further cement the company as a rival to Apple, the only other device manufacturer with such a significant, exclusive space carved out on the Best Buy show floor.
Samsung has its own retail locations, but they have yet to achieve the foot traffic, profitability, or cultural cachet of Apple's signature stores. A reporter visiting a new Samsung store in Sydney, Australia ? located just a block from the Sydney Apple Store ? described Samsung's store as "uncannily Apple-esque."
Pictured: The Sydney Samsung Experience Store
Following a path first walked by Apple, Samsung will be getting its own mini-stores inside Best Buy locations, according to Geek.com. Information on what the new Samsung sections of Best Buy's mobile departments will look like is as yet unavailable, but the retailer is said to be preparing a roll-out of Samsung mini-stores in select Best Buy locations in the near future.
The first wave of Samsung stores will be based in high-traffic Best Buy locations and timed to the release of the Samsung's newest flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S4. Those high-traffic locations will soon receive instructions to remove two aisles next to their mobile departments in order to make way for a new Samsung store.
The mini-stores will feature large, Samsung-specific signage and room to demo a number of Samsung products. In addition to the Galaxy S4, Samsung produces a range of other tablets and mobile computers, so the additional space may well be taken up with those wares. A second wave of mini-stores will spring up later in the year, and eventually every Best Buy store will have its own Samsung store inside.
For Best Buy, the move could help further establish the retailer as a player in the mobile segment and reverse trends that have seen Best Buy struggling as consumers increasingly opt for Internet-based shopping. For Samsung, the mini-stores will get its products in front of more eyes and more-importantly further cement the company as a rival to Apple, the only other device manufacturer with such a significant, exclusive space carved out on the Best Buy show floor.
Samsung has its own retail locations, but they have yet to achieve the foot traffic, profitability, or cultural cachet of Apple's signature stores. A reporter visiting a new Samsung store in Sydney, Australia ? located just a block from the Sydney Apple Store ? described Samsung's store as "uncannily Apple-esque."
Comments
Isn't this a rumour?
It will be very interesting to see what these new Samsung store-within-a-stores look like. I have my suspicions, but I'll wait to see.
Best Buy needs to do some serious lobbying about sales taxes. People coming in to Best Buy to shop around and then buying it online to save sales taxes must be hurting them a lot.
This is great news - for AppleInsider.
We can look forward to someone taking a photo of such a store-within-a-store, framed so that icons from other products like Apple's can be seen in the background, and the page views here will skyrocket as everyone chimes in to post over and over, "See? Samsung is even using Apple's icons!"
Too bad only the 200 people who still visit Best Buy ghost towns these days will ever see it.
Problem is that they are going to run out of Steve Jobs old ideas eventually.
The other problem is that Apple will run out of them too.
In my local Best Buy, the Apple "mini store" is nothing more than a table or two with some Apple signage. The computers usually don't have web access, so there's not much you can do on them. In other words, it's back to the sorry state of demonstrating Apple that was one of the primary reasons that led Apple to start its own retail store operation in the first place.
When Apple opened up sales to the big chains like BB, WalMart and others, I understood why they did it from a market penetration perspective, but I always thought it devalued the brand. And I think Apple is paying the price for that now, both in the consumer marketplace and on Wall Street, where Apple is not considered the brand it once was.
The Samsung mini-store will probably be no different. An area with Samsung devices and some signage. No biggie.
A true mini-store would have dedicated staff who were not BB employees, but employees of Apple/Samsung.
Best Buy has an area where they demonstrate 3D TVs, where the 3D glasses are mounted onto telescoping support systems and are secured so that they can't be stolen. There's usually a set of four - one for each of the major TV manufacturers. But I would say that 75% of the time, the 3D glasses' batteries aren't charged so you look through and see only 2D. I've heard many people say, "that 3D sucks!", not realizing that the glasses aren't working.
BB is terrible at this stuff. It's one of the reasons their stores are failing. It works as a warehouse store where you go in knowing what you want to buy (although I personally dislike their stores immensely and don't find their prices favorable. I very rarely buy anything there). It doesn't work as an experience store.
BestBuy needs more than just Samsung coming into their stores. In my opinion, its not a very good buying experience. They up sell the hell out of you. They usually don't have a clue about whatever it is you want. They just sound like they do. They nickel and dime everyone and overprice everything. Everyone I know just goes into BestBuy to look and then buys it elsewhere.
Problem is that sales tax is by state, and many online retailers are beating them just on price as well. I live in NYC so I'm able to walk into J&R and B&H, and even with sales tax included they beat Best Buy's price pre-sales tax.
Something as simple as holding a phone with a giant plastic anchor thicker than the phone itself or a pulley constantly pulling the phone back, ruins that first impression of handling the device. Years after Apple launched it's own stores, it still does a better job with those little details than its competitors.
If Apple is making enough off BB sales to make it worthwhile, they could flex their muscles and threaten to cut BB off if they go forward with this. On the other hand, if BB is going for bargain shoppers only, maybe they are better off without each other. Samsung, the new Dell. "Dude, I'm getting a Samsung!"
This is actually not such a bad thing. It's sort of a controlled experiment (ignoring issues of whether the clientele is representative).
It'll be interesting to see which company attracts more traffic and sales. I have my prediction (and it's not Samsung).
Hopefully people who work at these Best Buys (that have both mini-stores) will give us an update in a couple of months' time.
Quote:
Originally Posted by TheUnfetteredMind
I would tend to doubt BestBuy is "giving" these to Samsung, unless BestBuy really thinks this will bring in more customers. I would suppose Samsung, like Apple, has to be doing something for BestBuy (lower prices, perks, etc).
It will be very interesting to see what these new Samsung store-within-a-stores look like. I have my suspicions, but I'll wait to see.
Do we know for a fact that Best Buy gets lower prices and perks from Apple?
Quote:
Originally Posted by anantksundaram
This is actually not such a bad thing. It's sort of a controlled experiment (ignoring issues of whether the clientele is representative).
It'll be interesting to see which company attracts more traffic and sales. I have my prediction (and it's not Samsung).
Hopefully people who work at these Best Buys (that have both mini-stores) will give us an update in a couple of months' time.
I agree.
Also, this makes sense from the Best Buy perspective. Samsung is standing out as an Android device maker, and now has a truly "family" of products. Giving it dedicated space would make it easier for Samsung customers to find what they seek. If this doesn't last, we'll know that the Samsung following is not significant.
Quote:
Originally Posted by stelligent
Do we know for a fact that Best Buy gets lower prices and perks from Apple?
I don't, but I assume Apple is doing something, I don't know why BestBuy would agree to it otherwise. I'm sure whatever agreement they have is confidential. But no, I do not know for sure.
I forgot Target and Walmarts have these now too.
Don't forget the genius bar!