April 5, 2013
Will Samsung Threaten Apple’s Retail Dominance?
Samsung is going retail in a big way with the launch of a store-within-a-store concept that will eventually have it operating in 1,400 Best Buy and Best Buy mobile locations. Beginning next Monday, Samsung will open the first 500 of its 460-square-foot Experience Shops. Each shop will be staffed with Samsung employees.
Samsung tested the prototype, which focuses on its mobile solutions, at a Best Buy in Dallas. The consumer electronics retailer made room for the Samsung Experience, according to Forbes, by removing some aisles previously dedicated to compact disks.
"This is our first opportunity to demonstrate connected mobile products in a location with educated Samsung employees able to walk a consumer through the experience," Ketrina Dunagan, vice president of retail marketing for Samsung Mobile’s U.S. unit, told Bloomberg News. "About 70 percent of U.S. population is within 10 miles of a Best Buy."
"We look forward to showcasing Samsung products in the Samsung Experience Shop in all Best Buy and Best Buy Mobile locations," said Shawn Score, head of U.S. Retail for Best Buy, in a statement. "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."
The move by Samsung is seen as a direct punch thrown at Apple, which has engaged in dueling copyright lawsuits with the South Korean electronics manufacturer in recent years.
Opinions are mixed on how much the opening of Samsung’s shops will affect Apple, which operates more than 400 standalone stores around the globe as well as a robust e-commerce business.
- Samsung Joins Forces with Best Buy to Provide Consumers a Unique Mobile Shopping Experience – Samsung
- Introducing the Samsung Experience Shop – Best Buy
- Samsung Presses Apple Fight With Mini Stores in Best Buy – Bloomberg News
- 1,400 ‘Samsung Experience’ shops in Best Buy locations spell more bad news for HTC – The Verge
- Samsung Best Buy Experience Won’t Bruise Apple – Forbes.com
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Discussion Questions
Does Samsung’s store-within-a-store concept represent a direct threat to Apple in the mobile computing space? Do you think Samsung will use the Best Buy initiative as a springboard to opening its own retail locations a la The Apple Store?
Poll
Samsung’s store-within-a-store concept provides better focus on their products within Best Buy, but Samsung does not have the mystique or dedicated following of Apple. As such, this effort may raise Samsung sales versus other Android and Windows products, but it is not a threat to Apple stores.
This all goes back to the brand’s core message. Apple stands for innovation and ease of use. Apple products have their own operating system and interconnected eco-system. Some Samsung machines run on Android; others run on Windows. What is the core message of the Samsung brand? Samsung has yet to show consumers why they should embrace the brand, the way they embrace Apple.
This deal, the concept and its implementation is timely and beneficial for both Samsung and Best Buy. Best Buy needs Samsung’s cachet and cash right now. Samsung will use this as a test for a retail presence and Best Buy will use Samsung’s marketing clout and dollars to rekindle its retail relevancy. Best Buy used its business relationship with Microsoft to fund its exponential expansion.
The Samsung marketing and spending juggernaut is precisely what BBY needs right now to reinvent its relevancy to consumer electronics shoppers. Unlike Apple, Samsung has an entire portfolio of products—from mobile devices to appliances! This is a portfolio perfect for Best Buy. Perhaps Samsung will acquire Best Buy if this shop-in-shop concept proves successful!?
Samsung is using the same underlying principle to someone building on an out parcel of a big box retailer or renting space in a mall—leveraging someone else’s traffic for their benefit. The difference is they are doing it within the store meaning they don’t have to get them to come in the door but simply to cross the aisle. The test must have been extremely successful for Samsung to commit to opening 500 such locations based on a single stores results.
From this to opening its own standalone stores is a fairly big leap. Samsung does not enjoy the cult-like following of Apple and without that dedicated base of customers, generating enough sales and profits in a standalone store is not likely.
I’m not sure whether Samsung aspires to open its own freestanding stores, but a sudden presence of 1400 “locations” is a big move for them. They have an opportunity to take the concept a step further, buy integrating their “smart TV” assortment into their mobile shops before Apple starts selling its so-called iTV later this year. (Assuming, of course, that the rumors are correct.) And, needless to say, the partnership will be a win for Best Buy as it works to reinvent itself as a more cutting edge and less commodity-oriented CE retailer.
The other side of the discussion relates to the Apple Store itself. Has Apple squeezed as much productivity out of its relatively limited number of “doors” as possible? Can the existing stores’ service levels and sales-per-sq. ft. metrics handle another influx of new products? (The iWatch, the iTV and other rumored intros.) Or does Apple need to consider larger stores or more locations?
The Samsung Experience is simply a vendor solution to a common problem. All too often, retailers cherry pick the items they stock of a vendor. They want the best sellers only and move onto the next vendor. Samsung is missing sales on many items not stocked frequently.
We see this same concept used in department stores. The problem not addressed here is the controlling of showrooming. Samsung is its own direct competition to Apple. I think the store-within-a-store concept is stronger than opening stores. The Samsung Experience may cause an issue with the cell phone companies which sell most of the smart phones. For this reason alone opening their own stores may not pay off.
Samsung may not have the mystique that Apple does, but they sold WAY more smartphones than Apple did on a global basis in 2012, according to Gartner.
That said, I think this is a win for Samsung and Best Buy, as it gives Samsung more visibility and draws more shoppers to Best Buy.
Great move by Samsung! This will become a direct threat to Apple. I had a chance to handle some of Samsung’s devices at CES this year and I feel that they are closing the gap on Industrial Design with Apple. The product engineering feels on par and software parity will come.
Samsung definately does not have an Apple cult following, but will be a reasonable option for customers.
It’s interesting that Samsung will staff the stores themselves and if they can generate the volume it will be a short step to standalone Samsung stores. If I was a betting man—you will see Samsung popup stores this holiday!
I’m not sure Samsung will need to open stand-alone stores to compete. What the heck – they are already getting the overhead & staff & traffic at Best Buy. Why bother with a stand-alone (other than perhaps a flagship). Anyway, I am always partial to an underdog – Go Samsung!
A ‘has been’ teams up with a ‘wanna be’ what could possibly go wrong?
Apple used to stand – virtually by itself – for innovation and ease of use in the smartphone market. Since Steve Job’s passing, innovation has come almost exclusively from competitors, not just Samsung but also Nokia and Sony. Apple has lost its “wow” and is in danger of losing its “cool”. If that happens, customers may be less willing to put up with having to make appointments to talk to a service rep, and sometimes waiting for up to half an hour once they get to the store, to be told that the tiny bit of water that got into the main port means their iPhone is now useless.
Even if Apple does recover its innovation mojo, Samsung’s investment in dedicated retail space across 1,400 BB stores is most definitely a direct threat to Apple’s retail – and hence overall franchise.
Samsung’s “Experience Shops” are strategic stores and a smart next step after they tested the waters with Pop Up Retail last year. This move will keep Samsung competitive without the overhead of their own retail locations, however, the intrinsic value an Apple store offers is community. You can go to an Apple store to buy phones, tablets and computers and even better, you can be part of a community and share, test and learn. Boutique technology retail is not only about the sale. It is about being part of a community.
This is a great move for Samsung because in one shot they will have 1,400 locations dedicated to them. The problem is that Best Buy itself is not a great crowd-puller any more. But I also suspect that presence of Samsung mini-stores in Best Buy will attract some more traffic to Best Buy too! And to make this successful in the long run, Samsung will have to improve its offerings in tablets and PCs (and possibly other categories).
And no matter how successful this becomes, it will not reach the heights of Apple stores.
I love this move for a number of reasons. First, Best Buy has been running scared of Amazon and making some bad decisions out of fear (like the overblown showrooming stuff) IMHO. This is the kind of thing that Amazon has no answer for…hands-on theme park experience in a physical store. Combined with ending the Geek squad in Target experiment in squandering brand equity, I think they are now getting it. From Samsung’s POV, it is the perfect answer to the snobbery and hubris that is Apple – mainstream the brand and make it available everywhere. Hey Apple–pride cometh before the fall!
No, I do not see this move as a direct threat to Apple. The Apple brand is more than just a smartphone. I do see this as a win win for both Samsung and Best Buy.
I believe that the store within a store concept is one of the ways Best Buy needs to go in order to succeed. Then they need to beef up their services offerings and they’ll be on the road again.
I think this is a great move for both companies and potentially the single most important thing Best Buy has done since Joly became CEO. A shop-in-shop investment at this scale signals that Samsung is unlikely to open its own storefronts, and with the momentum they already have in the market, I don’t think they need to.
The real loser here is Microsoft. As they work to gradually scale their own branded stores, Samsung is up in 500 doors overnight and the Windows ecosystem may have just been relegated to afterthought status inside the world’s largest CE retailer.
As at least one metric of success – this announcement had me interested enough to go in search of more information and trying to identify when it will be in my local market. Curiosity is peaked and interest is high. I want to see what it is all about. Now, we will see how execution either fans desire or squelches it.
However, as a tickler or interest generator – it worked on me.
No. Samsung can only threaten Apple if Apple devalues its brand — which seems unlikely to happen.
Samsung can open retail locations but it will not attract the Apple consumer that has been cultivated for decades — they love the brand and are willing to pay twice as much as a Samsung product for it.
Loyal brand users will make Samsung a viable brick and mortar retail brand.
Samsung should focus on becoming the favorite brand for PC users. Build a loyal fan base that will live and die with its brand — like Apple — but not try to steal the Apple loyalist which would be a very expensive and unattainable goal.
Of course this is a competitive action and it should be helpful to Samsung in continuing its share gain vs others. However, it does not necessarily mean much versus Apple as it more likely consolidates share versus other Android marketers and even other IT vendors. The interplay between Apple and Samsung will play out through their products and marketing strategies though this is most certainly an amplifier.
Meanwhile, the key here is execution so we will have to see how this is actually done. Apple stores offer a much different and richer and better experience than the Apple shops within Best Buy. The Geek Squad does not currently compare with the Genius Bar and other services. How Samsung executes this will therefore tell a lot about how much impact this has on the Apple-Samsung battle. Additionally as with all retail endeavors, maintenance and product shift will entail a lot of effort to keep displays looking good and current so we all need to observe over time.
Again, the retail track record at Best Buy is spotty with many of their displays often not working or well maintained. We will see how this one does. However, it is generally a good thing as it brings more interest and experience to the Best Buy floor which certainly has the need and the room to do it.
For Samsung, it allows demonstration of converged devices, functions and services that the current silos within retail often do not allow. Now will we see more vendors asking for this at Best Buy? You can be certain firms like LG are investigating and other top IT and CE firms will want it. Whether this becomes the bazaar or flea market or a wonderful retail experience will be of great interest, but the CE and electronics firms will support this as directionally it is correct. Of course, if the experience is positive we will see some standalone stores for Samsung, but they already do this elsewhere so no surprise.
Samsung’s store-within-a-store concept is a continuation and representation of the threat that it already is to Apple. Samsung isn’t just creating killer products (said the unrepentant iPhone-to-Note convert), it is getting behind its innovations by outspending Apple on marketing and now, leveraging Best Buy’s footprint to distort its physical retail presence. Best Buy wins by showcasing an up-and-coming brand and creating an important Apples-to-Android balance in its stores.
Samsung could very well open a flagship or two or roll out a fleet. Apple isn’t the only one doing this; Sony’s retail portfolio includes shop-in-shops, owned retail and wholesale. Hybrid models are going to become the rule rather than the exception as brands seek to remain top-of-mind.
Samsung’s store-in-store concept has been tried by others; Target comes to mind. I believe the future of retail will continue to evolve this way. Subsidized, brand focused real estate with the larger footprint that proves beneficial to both parties.
I suspect the big doubters on the success of Samsung are mostly iPhone users. Sometimes we can lose sight of the fact that the market is still wide open and competitive.
Only last week I read that Android as the OS is under pressure with the MS new platform, and a possibly resurgent Blackberry. Anything can happen, but for now this seems a logical and low risk move for Samsung.
This sounds like a great move for both Samsung and for Best Buy. Samsung gets to control what product it shows, and with their own in-store reps they can control the message that potential customers hear just before making a buying decision. And they get to do it at a fraction of renting and managing all those retail locations. (Who needs their own stand-alone stores? Why try to beat Apple at their game?)
For Best Buy it’s the solution to the financial challenges of showrooming. I imagine that they will soon also be announcing stores-within-the-store for LG, Motorola, Sharp and more. They can actually benefit by becoming the one stop showroom for consumers that want to see the multiple brand’s products and learn about them from knowledgeable experts, up close, all in one place. Best Buy can earn fees from all the manufacturers based on the space, they can sell accessories and Geek Squad services on the spot, and they can give up trying to compete on price at their brick and mortar locations and just sell online like most of their competition.
It is likely that a success in the store-within Best Buy concept would lead to a few, well positioned standalone stores in major markets. The question will be how the experience translates. Is it just an add-on to the Best Buy experience, or will Samsung be able to learn enough to craft a compelling and unique raison d’etre? Should be a win-win for Samsung and Best Buy given the growing popularity of the Galaxy brand and the reach of the Best Buy locations to the product’s desired consumer base.
Should help Samsung, but not sure it will threaten Apple. Everyone I know who has a Samsung wants an Apple. Many I know have had problems with Samsung after a few months of use. Apple is the gold standard and I don’t think anyone but Apple can change that. If Samsung is going to partner with Best Buy, then opening a retail store would be counter productive.
I think Samsung and Best Buy are doing the right thing. In the past I have posted that Best Buy has basically been a place for people to go and sample electronics before they go home to buy them. If they can partner with more companies who basically lease space within Best Buy and offer the ability to buy online in the store and still make money, Best Buy would be accommodating what the shoppers are already using them for. This partnership not only gives Best Buy more traffic, but moves them into a space that I have felt they should go for a while.
As for Samsung, this keeps the costs associated with opening their own stores down. Samsung’s is already gaining on Apple. With the loss of Steven Jobs, many people believe Apple has lost its visionary edge. Once Samsung has caught up, they can easily surpass a company who is lacking in new ideas. Unfortunately for Apple stock holders, the market is already showing that concern.
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Samsung’s store-within-a-store concept provides better focus on their products within Best Buy, but Samsung does not have the mystique or dedicated following of Apple. As such, this effort may raise Samsung sales versus other Android and Windows products, but it is not a threat to Apple stores.
This all goes back to the brand’s core message. Apple stands for innovation and ease of use. Apple products have their own operating system and interconnected eco-system. Some Samsung machines run on Android; others run on Windows. What is the core message of the Samsung brand? Samsung has yet to show consumers why they should embrace the brand, the way they embrace Apple.
This deal, the concept and its implementation is timely and beneficial for both Samsung and Best Buy. Best Buy needs Samsung’s cachet and cash right now. Samsung will use this as a test for a retail presence and Best Buy will use Samsung’s marketing clout and dollars to rekindle its retail relevancy. Best Buy used its business relationship with Microsoft to fund its exponential expansion.
The Samsung marketing and spending juggernaut is precisely what BBY needs right now to reinvent its relevancy to consumer electronics shoppers. Unlike Apple, Samsung has an entire portfolio of products—from mobile devices to appliances! This is a portfolio perfect for Best Buy. Perhaps Samsung will acquire Best Buy if this shop-in-shop concept proves successful!?
Samsung is using the same underlying principle to someone building on an out parcel of a big box retailer or renting space in a mall—leveraging someone else’s traffic for their benefit. The difference is they are doing it within the store meaning they don’t have to get them to come in the door but simply to cross the aisle. The test must have been extremely successful for Samsung to commit to opening 500 such locations based on a single stores results.
From this to opening its own standalone stores is a fairly big leap. Samsung does not enjoy the cult-like following of Apple and without that dedicated base of customers, generating enough sales and profits in a standalone store is not likely.
I’m not sure whether Samsung aspires to open its own freestanding stores, but a sudden presence of 1400 “locations” is a big move for them. They have an opportunity to take the concept a step further, buy integrating their “smart TV” assortment into their mobile shops before Apple starts selling its so-called iTV later this year. (Assuming, of course, that the rumors are correct.) And, needless to say, the partnership will be a win for Best Buy as it works to reinvent itself as a more cutting edge and less commodity-oriented CE retailer.
The other side of the discussion relates to the Apple Store itself. Has Apple squeezed as much productivity out of its relatively limited number of “doors” as possible? Can the existing stores’ service levels and sales-per-sq. ft. metrics handle another influx of new products? (The iWatch, the iTV and other rumored intros.) Or does Apple need to consider larger stores or more locations?
The Samsung Experience is simply a vendor solution to a common problem. All too often, retailers cherry pick the items they stock of a vendor. They want the best sellers only and move onto the next vendor. Samsung is missing sales on many items not stocked frequently.
We see this same concept used in department stores. The problem not addressed here is the controlling of showrooming. Samsung is its own direct competition to Apple. I think the store-within-a-store concept is stronger than opening stores. The Samsung Experience may cause an issue with the cell phone companies which sell most of the smart phones. For this reason alone opening their own stores may not pay off.
Samsung may not have the mystique that Apple does, but they sold WAY more smartphones than Apple did on a global basis in 2012, according to Gartner.
That said, I think this is a win for Samsung and Best Buy, as it gives Samsung more visibility and draws more shoppers to Best Buy.
Great move by Samsung! This will become a direct threat to Apple. I had a chance to handle some of Samsung’s devices at CES this year and I feel that they are closing the gap on Industrial Design with Apple. The product engineering feels on par and software parity will come.
Samsung definately does not have an Apple cult following, but will be a reasonable option for customers.
It’s interesting that Samsung will staff the stores themselves and if they can generate the volume it will be a short step to standalone Samsung stores. If I was a betting man—you will see Samsung popup stores this holiday!
I’m not sure Samsung will need to open stand-alone stores to compete. What the heck – they are already getting the overhead & staff & traffic at Best Buy. Why bother with a stand-alone (other than perhaps a flagship). Anyway, I am always partial to an underdog – Go Samsung!
A ‘has been’ teams up with a ‘wanna be’ what could possibly go wrong?
Apple used to stand – virtually by itself – for innovation and ease of use in the smartphone market. Since Steve Job’s passing, innovation has come almost exclusively from competitors, not just Samsung but also Nokia and Sony. Apple has lost its “wow” and is in danger of losing its “cool”. If that happens, customers may be less willing to put up with having to make appointments to talk to a service rep, and sometimes waiting for up to half an hour once they get to the store, to be told that the tiny bit of water that got into the main port means their iPhone is now useless.
Even if Apple does recover its innovation mojo, Samsung’s investment in dedicated retail space across 1,400 BB stores is most definitely a direct threat to Apple’s retail – and hence overall franchise.
Samsung’s “Experience Shops” are strategic stores and a smart next step after they tested the waters with Pop Up Retail last year. This move will keep Samsung competitive without the overhead of their own retail locations, however, the intrinsic value an Apple store offers is community. You can go to an Apple store to buy phones, tablets and computers and even better, you can be part of a community and share, test and learn. Boutique technology retail is not only about the sale. It is about being part of a community.
This is a great move for Samsung because in one shot they will have 1,400 locations dedicated to them. The problem is that Best Buy itself is not a great crowd-puller any more. But I also suspect that presence of Samsung mini-stores in Best Buy will attract some more traffic to Best Buy too! And to make this successful in the long run, Samsung will have to improve its offerings in tablets and PCs (and possibly other categories).
And no matter how successful this becomes, it will not reach the heights of Apple stores.
I love this move for a number of reasons. First, Best Buy has been running scared of Amazon and making some bad decisions out of fear (like the overblown showrooming stuff) IMHO. This is the kind of thing that Amazon has no answer for…hands-on theme park experience in a physical store. Combined with ending the Geek squad in Target experiment in squandering brand equity, I think they are now getting it. From Samsung’s POV, it is the perfect answer to the snobbery and hubris that is Apple – mainstream the brand and make it available everywhere. Hey Apple–pride cometh before the fall!
No, I do not see this move as a direct threat to Apple. The Apple brand is more than just a smartphone. I do see this as a win win for both Samsung and Best Buy.
I believe that the store within a store concept is one of the ways Best Buy needs to go in order to succeed. Then they need to beef up their services offerings and they’ll be on the road again.
I think this is a great move for both companies and potentially the single most important thing Best Buy has done since Joly became CEO. A shop-in-shop investment at this scale signals that Samsung is unlikely to open its own storefronts, and with the momentum they already have in the market, I don’t think they need to.
The real loser here is Microsoft. As they work to gradually scale their own branded stores, Samsung is up in 500 doors overnight and the Windows ecosystem may have just been relegated to afterthought status inside the world’s largest CE retailer.
As at least one metric of success – this announcement had me interested enough to go in search of more information and trying to identify when it will be in my local market. Curiosity is peaked and interest is high. I want to see what it is all about. Now, we will see how execution either fans desire or squelches it.
However, as a tickler or interest generator – it worked on me.
No. Samsung can only threaten Apple if Apple devalues its brand — which seems unlikely to happen.
Samsung can open retail locations but it will not attract the Apple consumer that has been cultivated for decades — they love the brand and are willing to pay twice as much as a Samsung product for it.
Loyal brand users will make Samsung a viable brick and mortar retail brand.
Samsung should focus on becoming the favorite brand for PC users. Build a loyal fan base that will live and die with its brand — like Apple — but not try to steal the Apple loyalist which would be a very expensive and unattainable goal.
Of course this is a competitive action and it should be helpful to Samsung in continuing its share gain vs others. However, it does not necessarily mean much versus Apple as it more likely consolidates share versus other Android marketers and even other IT vendors. The interplay between Apple and Samsung will play out through their products and marketing strategies though this is most certainly an amplifier.
Meanwhile, the key here is execution so we will have to see how this is actually done. Apple stores offer a much different and richer and better experience than the Apple shops within Best Buy. The Geek Squad does not currently compare with the Genius Bar and other services. How Samsung executes this will therefore tell a lot about how much impact this has on the Apple-Samsung battle. Additionally as with all retail endeavors, maintenance and product shift will entail a lot of effort to keep displays looking good and current so we all need to observe over time.
Again, the retail track record at Best Buy is spotty with many of their displays often not working or well maintained. We will see how this one does. However, it is generally a good thing as it brings more interest and experience to the Best Buy floor which certainly has the need and the room to do it.
For Samsung, it allows demonstration of converged devices, functions and services that the current silos within retail often do not allow. Now will we see more vendors asking for this at Best Buy? You can be certain firms like LG are investigating and other top IT and CE firms will want it. Whether this becomes the bazaar or flea market or a wonderful retail experience will be of great interest, but the CE and electronics firms will support this as directionally it is correct. Of course, if the experience is positive we will see some standalone stores for Samsung, but they already do this elsewhere so no surprise.
Samsung’s store-within-a-store concept is a continuation and representation of the threat that it already is to Apple. Samsung isn’t just creating killer products (said the unrepentant iPhone-to-Note convert), it is getting behind its innovations by outspending Apple on marketing and now, leveraging Best Buy’s footprint to distort its physical retail presence. Best Buy wins by showcasing an up-and-coming brand and creating an important Apples-to-Android balance in its stores.
Samsung could very well open a flagship or two or roll out a fleet. Apple isn’t the only one doing this; Sony’s retail portfolio includes shop-in-shops, owned retail and wholesale. Hybrid models are going to become the rule rather than the exception as brands seek to remain top-of-mind.
Samsung’s store-in-store concept has been tried by others; Target comes to mind. I believe the future of retail will continue to evolve this way. Subsidized, brand focused real estate with the larger footprint that proves beneficial to both parties.
I suspect the big doubters on the success of Samsung are mostly iPhone users. Sometimes we can lose sight of the fact that the market is still wide open and competitive.
Only last week I read that Android as the OS is under pressure with the MS new platform, and a possibly resurgent Blackberry. Anything can happen, but for now this seems a logical and low risk move for Samsung.
This sounds like a great move for both Samsung and for Best Buy. Samsung gets to control what product it shows, and with their own in-store reps they can control the message that potential customers hear just before making a buying decision. And they get to do it at a fraction of renting and managing all those retail locations. (Who needs their own stand-alone stores? Why try to beat Apple at their game?)
For Best Buy it’s the solution to the financial challenges of showrooming. I imagine that they will soon also be announcing stores-within-the-store for LG, Motorola, Sharp and more. They can actually benefit by becoming the one stop showroom for consumers that want to see the multiple brand’s products and learn about them from knowledgeable experts, up close, all in one place. Best Buy can earn fees from all the manufacturers based on the space, they can sell accessories and Geek Squad services on the spot, and they can give up trying to compete on price at their brick and mortar locations and just sell online like most of their competition.
It is likely that a success in the store-within Best Buy concept would lead to a few, well positioned standalone stores in major markets. The question will be how the experience translates. Is it just an add-on to the Best Buy experience, or will Samsung be able to learn enough to craft a compelling and unique raison d’etre? Should be a win-win for Samsung and Best Buy given the growing popularity of the Galaxy brand and the reach of the Best Buy locations to the product’s desired consumer base.
Should help Samsung, but not sure it will threaten Apple. Everyone I know who has a Samsung wants an Apple. Many I know have had problems with Samsung after a few months of use. Apple is the gold standard and I don’t think anyone but Apple can change that. If Samsung is going to partner with Best Buy, then opening a retail store would be counter productive.
I think Samsung and Best Buy are doing the right thing. In the past I have posted that Best Buy has basically been a place for people to go and sample electronics before they go home to buy them. If they can partner with more companies who basically lease space within Best Buy and offer the ability to buy online in the store and still make money, Best Buy would be accommodating what the shoppers are already using them for. This partnership not only gives Best Buy more traffic, but moves them into a space that I have felt they should go for a while.
As for Samsung, this keeps the costs associated with opening their own stores down. Samsung’s is already gaining on Apple. With the loss of Steven Jobs, many people believe Apple has lost its visionary edge. Once Samsung has caught up, they can easily surpass a company who is lacking in new ideas. Unfortunately for Apple stock holders, the market is already showing that concern.