Samsung is taking a page out of Apple's playbook by opening stores across the US. Here's how retail spaces from the competing tech giants compare. (AAPL)
- Apple opened its first retail store in 2001. It was an innovative idea at the time, allowing customers to test out tech products first-hand in a store before buying.
- It has proven to be successful, and other retailers have since followed suit.
- Samsung recently opened its fourth US retail store in Palo Alto, California. We paid the space a visit to see what it offers Samsung users — and how it differs from Apple's retail experience. Here's how the two compare.
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Apple pioneered the modern concept of a retail store for technology brands.
The tech giant opened its first location in 2001 to give customers first-hand experience with and knowledge of its line of products. People could actually use the products in-store and store associates could offer useful tidbits about devices. The stores were considered an experimental feat in retail at the time.
But the concept has proven to be a hit ever since, allowing customers to test out everything from smartphones, computers, and other gadgetry to providing device repair and support. Other tech and non-tech retailers have followed suit, like Glossier, AT&T, Tesla, and Verizon, as reported by Digiday. Because shoppers are increasingly gravitating to the web for their shopping needs, retailers have needed to evolve the traditional retail experience if they are going to bring customers into stores.
In 2016, rival Samsung joined that mix when the South Korea-based electronics titan opened its first retail store in New York City. It's since launched four locations, with the most recent in the heart of Silicon Valley.
We paid the Palo Alto store a visit ahead of its grand opening in December and decided to compare it to Apple's retail space. We found that they differed in lighting setups and retail displays, but were similar in that they both offer the full breadth of each company's product lines and have a heavy focus on more informed product use.
Check it out.
Samsung now has four US retail locations with its latest store opening in Palo Alto, California. We visited ahead of its opening in mid-December 2019, and the storefront was still in the works.
It's similar to Apple's minimal and to-the-point storefront branding. The Cupertino, California-based company now has over 500 stores.
Source: Digiday
The most noticeable characteristic upon entering the Samsung store in Palo Alto was its purple- and blue-hued lighting.
It's a far cry from Apple's crisp, white lighting setup.
Another difference was that there were many more informational blurbs worked into the retail displays in the Samsung store.
Display columns were in place beside the company's varying smartphone series, like the Galaxy Note 10 Plus or the A-Series.
Beside each phone, tablet, watch, or other device were individual information panels.
You won't find as many display tags or info blurbs in an Apple store, perhaps because Apple's products have become so ubiquitous that they're unwarranted, or because the company would prefer you talk to a store employee instead.
There are plenty of similarities between the two stores. Samsung allocates a section of the store for its line of phone accessories ...
... and Apple's accessory display is similar.
There's a section for wearables in the Samsung store, like the Galaxy Watch Active ...
... similarly, Apple sections-off part of the store for its own line of wearable devices, like the Apple Watch.
Educational classes and training sessions are available in the Samsung store ...
... an amenity that Apple has boasted about for years.
As the retail apocalypse looms overhead, brands are constantly having to rethink how they engage consumers in brick-and-mortar spaces ...
... and even though Apple's had a foothold in that arena for two decades, Samsung and other retailers are catching on.
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