Samsung has closed its flagship London store

Just like that, Samsung has decided to close its flagship 'Experience Store' in London. Only ten of these retail outlets exist across the UK, and the one in Westfield Stratford City shopping center was Samsung's crown jewel, playing host to numerous early bird product launches such as the Galaxy Note 8.0 and Galaxy S III. The store, originally run by Phones4u staff, was disassembled last night, while a notice informed customers of its closure. Samsung says it will do its upmost, "where possible," to find employees at Westfield new jobs, and emphasized that it's "fully committed" to its remaining UK stores. It's a stark statement -- for so many years, there's been no expense spared for Samsung, with huge marketing campaigns, countless pop-up stores and even an airport takeover. But the company's profits are in decline as it faces fresh competition from younger smartphone makers such as Xiaomi. Samsung has already abandoned its laptop business in Europe, and with handset sales on the downward slide, it's no surprise the firm is re-evaluating its retail ambitions.

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