Best Buy to provide Samsung mini-stores as Apple competition heats up
The battles between Apple and Samsung have been heating up for a while, and there is a new battleground for the two foes -- the aisles of Best Buy stores. Geek.com reported this morning that some high-traffic Best Buy stores have been given orders to remove two aisles next to the mobile section of their stores to make room for a Samsung "store within a store."
At this time, Best Buy stores include an Apple mini-store where customers can browse and buy their favorite Apple products and accessories. The first wave of the Samsung mini-stores will be done in time for the release of the Galaxy S4 next month, but it's expected that the content and ubiquity of the stores will later in the year. By then, other Samsung phones and tablets will be added to the mix of products, and the mini-stores should be in every Best Buy.
Like the Apple mini-stores, the Samsung stores will be manned by Best Buy employees specially trained to answer questions about the company's products and to assist customers in making purchasing decisions. Samsung has been opening its own "Samsung Experience Stores" in major cities around the globe to market its tablet, smartphone, PC and HDTV products, but the stores haven't achieved the success of Apple's retail outlets.
While the Samsung mini-stores are sure to give their Apple counterparts a lot of competition, the move will definitely benefit Best Buy by furthering its reputation as the place to go for mobile technology.
