Samsung is planning to begin rolling out its flagship Galaxy S 4 smartphone sometime this quarter, but it looks like the new device isn't the only major launch that the company will be taking part in. Best Buy and Samsung have come together to announce that they'll be rolling out Samsung Experience Shops in 1,400 Best Buy and Best Buy Mobile locations starting this month. The specialty shops will showcase Samsung's mobile hardware, including its phones, laptops, tablets, connected cameras and accessories and allow interested consumers to buy and activate them right there in the store.
The two companies say that there will be Samsung Experience Shops in 900 Best Buy and Best Buy Mobile locations by early May, with the remaining 500 rolling out by the early summer. The shops will vary by size, with the biggest one measuring 460 square feet, and the larger stores will feature special Samsung Connected Solutions areas to demonstrate how Sammy's devices can interact and share content between one another. In addition to housing Best Buy staffers, these Samsung Experience Shops will also employ Samsung Experience Consultants to offer support and product demos.
Many of Samsung's products are already sold in Best Buy stores, but these Samsung Experience Shops will be a way for the company to gather all of their devices into one special area.. The areas will likely draw attention from consumers that are inside the Best Buy stores, and once they're in there, Samsung's consultants will be able to highlight product features and help to convince people to take adopt a Galaxy product of their very own.
While the shops won't be quite the same as a dedicated Samsung outlet, they'll certainly be quite a bit easier to set up, and they could also attract Best Buy shoppers that wouldn't normally waltz into a Samsung-branded store on their own. With strong Galaxy S III sales and quite a bit of hype surrounding the Galaxy S 4, Samsung is already doing pretty well for itself in the mobile space. However, these 1,400 Samsung Experience Shops will help to beef up the company's marketing attack even further, and they could very well make life a bit more difficult for Samsung's competition. Will you be paying your local Best Buy a visit to get the Samsung Experience if its one of the 1,400 locations that'll have a shop installed?
SAMSUNG JOINS FORCES WITH BEST BUY TO PROVIDE CONSUMERS A UNIQUE MOBILE SHOPPING EXPERIENCE
Samsung Experience Shops in 1,400 Best Buy and Best Buy Mobile stores creates a destination where consumers can experience Samsung's extensive mobile ecosystem of products and learn how they work together from dedicated Samsung experts
Richardson, TX - April 4, 2013 - Samsung Electronics announced today a unique relationship with Best Buy, the world's largest consumer electronics retailer, centered on retail innovation for customers to explore, purchase, activate and service the broadest portfolio of Samsung mobile products and accessories. The Samsung Experience Shop™ will be installed in more than 1,400 Best Buy and Best Buy Mobile specialty stores across the U.S. beginning this month. By early May, 900 Best Buy and Best Buy Mobile specialty stores will feature the Samsung Experience Shop, with the remainder launching by early summer.
At the Samsung Experience Shops, consumers can experience Samsung's full range of mobile products including smartphones, tablets, laptops, connected cameras and accessories, all in one location. The shops enable consumers to interact with and buy Samsung's latest mobile products and experience how the devices connect together to enrich their lives.
Select Best Buy stores will have Samsung Smart Service™, which includes dedicated Samsung Experience Consultants™ and Best Buy blue shirt sales associates to assist customers with purchasing and activating mobile products on the carrier of their choice, understanding their device and supporting them throughout the lifecycle of their product. The specially trained Samsung Experience Consultants will assist with product demonstrations, basic product services, Samsung account set up, warranty registration and post purchase support.
"Samsung has been delivering the latest innovation across the consumer electronics category for some time," said Dale Sohn, president of Samsung Telecommunications America. "With the Samsung Experience Shops, we are ensuring consumers get the most of that innovation by learning how to leverage their mobile devices across our ecosystem of consumer electronics. Consumers will have one place to not only explore and learn about our full portfolio of mobile products, but also the support of a Samsung expert to help with selecting and servicing them. This will truly be a unique mobile shopping experience."
The shops vary in size, with the largest being approximately 460 square feet. Within the larger shops, the Samsung Connected Solutions™ area creates a place for customers to see how easily Samsung devices connect and share content across multiple screens.
"We look forward to showcasing Samsung products in the Samsung Experience Shop in all Best Buy and Best Buy Mobile locations. This is part of our Renew Blue transformation strategy – working closely with vendor partners to innovate and drive value, while also updating our stores to focus on growing and profitable categories," said Shawn Score, head of U.S. Retail for Best Buy. "Our promise to our customers is simple: we're committed to providing the best value, service and selection. Our partnership with Samsung on the Samsung Experience Shop is another way we're delivering on that promise."
In addition to the in-store experience, a Samsung Experience Shop launches today online - www.bestbuy.com/samsungexperienceshop - featuring product shopping aisles and a full overview of the Samsung Experience Shop.