It took long enough, but Samsung’s hunger for market dominance may finally see the company opening several retail stores in North America. As reported by the Calgary Herald, Samsung is eyeing Canada as the bridgehead for the company’s new retail strategy. To increase its clout in the world’s most lucrative market, Samsung is planning to create special branded stores, which will be dubbed Samsung Experience Zones, as well as store-within-store kiosks in major electronic outlets.
The stores will showcase not only Samsung’s line of tablets and smartphones, but also household appliances made by the Korean conglomerate. While the moms would be busy deciding whether to get a 2-door or 3-door fridge, the dads would be lost in Samsung’s sea of Android tablets, which, these days, seemingly come in every size you can imagine.
For now, Samsung has not disclosed the precise locations of its upcoming stores and in-store kiosks, but we should see some Sammy-branded retail locations this year. According to reports, Samsung is currently working with Canadian carrier Telus to test the in-store kiosks concept.
Samsung Electronics Canada president James Politeski said that the company, “wants consumers to experience the Samsung brand in a way that they have not experienced it before.” The branded stores are to follow specific design guidelines and the staff will receive training from Samsung in order to offer an unadulterated shopping experience for customers. “The reality is, at the end of the day, this is about the consumer’s experience with our brand,” Politeski said.
There’s no shame in following the footsteps of great tech companies like Apple and Sony, with their massive retail presences that helped build brand image and establish a better connection with consumers. Apple, more than any other company, should be commended for setting new standards in this field, and, from Sammy’s words, it’s obvious that it plans to emulate Steve Jobs’ retail vision.
It’s only a matter of time before Samsung’s retail push will make the hop across the border to the US. It’s worth noting that the company has already established a Samsung Experience flagship store, located in Time Warner Center, NYC, in 2004.
