Best Buy, Samsung confirm 1,400 mini-stores coming by summer

Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
Best Buy and Samsung have confirmed that they are teaming up to bring Samsung mini-stores to more than 1,400 Best Buy locations, much in the same way that those locations now feature miniature Apple Stores inside.

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Installation showing a sample Samsung Experience Shop. Courtesy of Samsung.


Samsung confirmed today in a press release that the two companies would be partnering to bring Samsung Experience Shops to Best Buy locations across the United States. The partnership will begin with 500 mini-stores opening on April 8, with Samsung stores in 900 Best Buy and Best Buy Mobile stores by early May. The rest of Best Buy's locations will get Samsung installations by early summer.

Rumors of a partnership between the two companies emerged in late March, and Thursday's news provides further details on the forthcoming mini-stores.

Samsung's mobile devices will be the main focus of the mini-stores, but they will also serve as a portal to Samsung's wider product line. Samsung's full range of smartphones, tablets, laptops, connected cameras, and accessories will all be on display.

Samsung's Experience Shops will take up about 460 square feet of space near the front of Best Buy's largest stores. Samsung will staff the stores with dedicated Samsung Experience Consultants, workers specially trained in assisting with product demonstrations, basic product services.

The mini-store move will help Samsung compete against the only other company to receive such prime placement in Best Buy: Apple. Samsung cannot in rapid fashion replicate Apple's sizable retail presence throughout the United States, but a notable presence in the U.S.' largest electronics retailer ?about 70 percent of the U.S. population lives within 10 miles of a Best Buy ? could go a long way toward increasing Samsung's "mindshare" in Apple's home country.

While Samsung is the overall leader in smartphones sold worldwide ? with about 40 percent of the market ? Apple leads solidly in the United States market, with 38 percent share versus 21 percent for Samsung.

Looking to reverse that fact, Samsung has made it a point this year to heighten the competition for the American market. To that end, the South Korean conglomerate launched its new flagship smartphone in the United States for the first time and is said to be preparing a massive marketing campaign aimed at making the Galaxy S4 the top handset in the U.S.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 16


    Imagine that...Samsung doing the same thing as Apple.

  • Reply 2 of 16
    jungmarkjungmark Posts: 6,926member
    I wonder if the "Samsung Experience Consultants" will mock the customers at the Apple section. My God that is a stupid name.
  • Reply 3 of 16
    slurpyslurpy Posts: 5,382member


    It's utterly fascinating comparing the rise of Apple to that of Samsung. One one hand, you have a company that has attained it's success solely through changing the game at every turn, pushing the envelope, rethinking absolutely everything, including long held conventions, is fanatical about design, creates it's own software and platforms from the ground up, and has pretty much defined and laid the foundation for the modern phone, tablet, ultrabook, all-in-one, and mobile appstores, all the while being mocked and doubted every step of the way. 


     


    On the other, you have a company who has attained it's recent success solely though cynical and lavish duplication of every single aspect that they saw generated success from the above company, from product design, to software, packaging, marketing, iconography, features, etc- all while contributing absolutely nothing truly unique, or implementing anything that has moved things forward in any real way. Not in software (where they make the stock OS worse, not better), not in design, not in ideas or concepts. Yet, this South Korean company is cheered on by the West, held on a pedestal, and now you have stores like BestBuy who for some reason believe this company has  earned the right to have ministores within their own stores, which seem bigger than Apple's, while having nothing or proprietary in their products vs other Android manufacturers, besides their ridiculous marketing budgets. Just a lesson in how underhanded tactics, lots of money, and the willingness to shamelessly copy whats successful can bring you just as much success as the hard work of innovation and going against all conventional thoughts and notions to truly create something new. Can't wait to talk to one of these 'Samsung experience consultants', who can maybe explain to me what makes their products special besides the tacked on and sloppy "S" features which magically all seem to materialize a month after Apple introduces the feature. 

  • Reply 4 of 16
    mazda 3smazda 3s Posts: 1,613member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by jungmark View Post



    I wonder if the "Samsung Experience Consultants" will mock the customers at the Apple section. My God that is a stupid name.


    No worse than Apple Geniuses and the Genius Bar.


     


    Smug bastards ;)

  • Reply 5 of 16
    jungmarkjungmark Posts: 6,926member
    mazda 3s wrote: »
    No worse than Apple Geniuses and the Genius Bar.

    Smug bastards ;)

    Difference is Geniuses offer that connotation of being an expert so they should be able to help me. Consultants will just rob me of money while not doing anything to help and prolonging my issues. At least that's been my experience with "consultants". :)
  • Reply 6 of 16
    superbasssuperbass Posts: 688member
    OMG ROFL BRB AFK, Samsung is totally copying Apple.

    I mean really, Apple should be the only one allowed to have a special area inside Best Buy, because they invented it.

    What's next, Samsung stores in SHOPPING MALLS? Customer service counters inside their stores? Employees in "casual" outfits trying to help you buy products from their stores?

    Jeez, when is Samsung going to start innovating? If they want to sell there products at Best Buy, they should come up with somewhere new, rather than shamelessly ripping off Apple! How about under the store? Or on top of the store? And instead of a dedicated area, why not evenly space Samsung products so there is at least 10 meters between each one? Putting each model of phone in a different department would really set them apart from Apple!

    And don't get me started on their Apple rip-off rectangular touch screen phones - why not a triangular phone with a series of dials and switches and a paper readout instead of a touch screen?

    I'm so glad the company that built my computer and telephone has only ever used 100% original ideas, never stolen or purchased other ideas/products and has designed, programmed and invented 100% of the technology, programming and aesthetics behind their product lines! Otherwise, said computer and telephone wouldn't be as good as they are now!
  • Reply 7 of 16
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member
    I pity anyone dealing with Samsung if they have a problem. I know an appliance is different from a tablet or phone but then again it's the same company. Three months after we bought it, Samsung finally shipped and Lowe's delivered a replacement freezer drawer handle on our $3000 fridge. The one that shipped with the fridge had stripped mounting screws. They didn't ship one handle mind you, they shipped four handles. It took ten phone calls over two months and no one ever followed up or called us back. I also found it fascinating that neither Lowe's nor Samsung knew the serial number of the fridge they shipped to us in the first place. This had been one reason for delays we were told. I was told that 'Management decided details like that were drilling too deep'. Go figure! Makes me just appreciate Apple all the more. I just wish Apple made appliances!
  • Reply 8 of 16
    cykzcykz Posts: 81member
    I seriously feel sick these days when Ss is snaking around my daily news.
  • Reply 9 of 16
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member
    superbass wrote: »
    OMG ROFL BRB AFK, Samsung is totally copying Apple.

    I mean really, Apple should be the only one allowed to have a special area inside Best Buy, because they invented it.

    What's next, Samsung stores in SHOPPING MALLS? Customer service counters inside their stores? Employees in "casual" outfits trying to help you buy products from their stores?

    Jeez, when is Samsung going to start innovating? If they want to sell there products at Best Buy, they should come up with somewhere new, rather than shamelessly ripping off Apple! How about under the store? Or on top of the store? And instead of a dedicated area, why not evenly space Samsung products so there is at least 10 meters between each one? Putting each model of phone in a different department would really set them apart from Apple!

    And don't get me started on their Apple rip-off rectangular touch screen phones - why not a triangular phone with a series of dials and switches and a paper readout instead of a touch screen?

    I'm so glad the company that built my computer and telephone has only ever used 100% original ideas, never stolen or purchased other ideas/products and has designed, programmed and invented 100% of the technology, programming and aesthetics behind their product lines! Otherwise, said computer and telephone wouldn't be as good as they are now!

    So, using your logic every company selling a few products at BestBuy should have their own special area? After all why wouldn't they all do it if Apple did? ;)
  • Reply 10 of 16
    slurpyslurpy Posts: 5,382member


    Originally Posted by Superbass View Post

    [post]


     


    I wonder if for people like you trolling is oxygen, you need it to survive. Sure seems like it. Took a gander at the last few pages of posts youv'e made, and 100% of them are viciously anti-Apple, not a single positive thing to say, only sarcastic and snarky comments towards the company based on bending the truth. Every. Single. One. You have 600+ posts of this stuff. Why the **** are you even here? WHy not post on forums based on companies and products you actually like? Why incessantly post about things you hate?

  • Reply 11 of 16
    superbasssuperbass Posts: 688member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by digitalclips View Post





    So, using your logic every company selling a few products at BestBuy should have their own special area? After all why wouldn't they all do it if Apple did? image


    Well, saying Samsung sells "a few" products at BestBuy is a bit of an understatement. Try doing a search on bestbuy.com - they sell a lot of different products. I doubt their phones and computers outsell Apple, but if you include their TVs, home appliances, etc they probably earn more money for Best Buy as a company.


     


    Really, the electronics market has become all about branding - Apple and Samsung have both been pretty successful at "converting" users into one of their camps, and the little mini stores are just another way to try and win customers. By relocating their products to a distinct area, they are trying to make the statement that "there's no other choice" than a samsung/apple product, just different models within their "untouchable" catalogues.


     


    Go to any Macy's or other department store and you'll also see the "branded" stores-within-stores because the fashion industry has been using this practice for a lot longer than electronics companies - designers don't want their clothes to share space with what they try to project as "inferior/unfashionable" products.

  • Reply 12 of 16
    aaarrrggghaaarrrgggh Posts: 1,609member
    And so, electronics stores become more and more like Department Stores... further trivializing their existence. Great for Samsung, though; they can try and cross-sell the washers and dryers with their latest phones and TVs.
  • Reply 13 of 16
    stelligentstelligent Posts: 2,680member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Slurpy View Post


    It's utterly fascinating comparing the rise of Apple to that of Samsung. One one hand, you have a company that has attained it's success solely through changing the game at every turn, pushing the envelope, rethinking absolutely everything, including long held conventions, is fanatical about design, creates it's own software and platforms from the ground up, and has pretty much defined and laid the foundation for the modern phone, tablet, ultrabook, all-in-one, and mobile appstores, all the while being mocked and doubted every step of the way. 


     


    On the other, you have a company who has attained it's recent success solely though cynical and lavish duplication of every single aspect that they saw 



    You clearly have to learn when not to use apostrophes. Hint: only one of those highlighted in bold is correct.

  • Reply 14 of 16
    stelligentstelligent Posts: 2,680member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Slurpy View Post


     


    One of the fucking stupidest, most dense posts I've read all year. Congrats. I wonder if for people like you trolling is oxygen, you need it to survive. Sure seems like it. Took a gander at the last few pages of posts youv'e made, and 100% of them are viciously anti-Apple, not a single positive thing to say, only sarcastic and snarky comments towards the company based on bending the truth. Every. Single. One. You have 600+ posts of this stuff. Why the **** are you even here? WHy not post on forums based on companies and products you actually like? Why incessantly post about things you hate? How pathetic and shameless. 



    Here are your meds ... and go easy on the apostrophes, BTW.

  • Reply 15 of 16
    ankleskaterankleskater Posts: 1,287member
    stelligent wrote: »
    You clearly have to learn when not to use apostrophes. Hint: only one of those highlighted in bold is correct.

    Judging from how he usually writes, could be ESL issue.
  • Reply 16 of 16
    kimk69kimk69 Posts: 77member
    Imagine that...Samsung doing the same thing as Apple.
    Yeah really. This has to be the worst fuckin news I've herd in a while.
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