Samsung is Forced to Close Their Flagship Store in London Due to Sales Decline

[dgstorm]

It turns out those Samsung Flagship Showcase retail stores that Sammy created to copy Apple may not have been such a wise investment after all, at least in some ways/areas. Due to Samsung's big sales decline last year, they have been forced to close their London based Samsung flagship store.

It makes you wonder how long the rest of them will last... not because Samsung is doing so badly they can no longer afford them, but simply because at some point they aren't cost effective. What do you think?

Source: Twitter - Samsung

 

[Jonny Kansas]

I never got why they started this, just the same way I don't get why Microsoft is trying it.

It only works for apple because of the following that apple has. Their closed ecosystem doesn't lend itself to multiple iterations/options, so it make sense to dedicate their stores to their products and for people to go to them for support and etc.

With Samsung being so widespread and available at MANY places (I know apple products are too) that already offer some kind of support, I just never saw this as a good idea.

Sometimes, I'm still amazed that apple stores are still a thing too though...

 

[droidprincess]

I kind of liked the idea of a Samsung only store.....I practically live in the Samsung area at Best Buy[emoji106] [emoji4]

sent from my hot Note Pro!

 

[FoxKat]

+1 on the above, and adding to that they're not just a phone company. Correct me if I'm wrong but seems that many have forgotten Apple still manufactures and sells Macintosh PCs and there is a whole other following there as well. Since they are so much different in operation than Windows based PCs, it takes a good basic knowledge of how to use them in order to effectively demonstrate and sell them. Then there's the whole integration thing between Apple, Macintosh and iTunes. That umbilical cord is far from being cut.

They are still the go-to computer for graphics design, publishing layout and photo/video editing among the professionals and I really don't see that changing much. As long as their computers are the preferred choice for those professions (a rather large sector of the market), Apple stores will prevail.

In contrast, Microsoft Windows based PCs can be demonstrated and sold quite easily since they are clearly the dominant PC operating system, so to devote a store to Microsoft is futile since Best Buy and Micro Center and other big chains will undercut and dominate.

Also in contrast and the primary contrasting issue is Samsung isn't making PCs in the quantity and variety to complete with Apple or Microsoft.

 

[xeene]

They should have included tvs, appliances, entertainment systems, windows and other products that they manufacture and have them all interact with each other within the store. Then they could have a backup income when their phone sales tanked.

 

[Ollie]

It's good to see someone at the top of Samsung having some sense. Trim the fat now, restructure the idea of their stores to include more of their products, and then reopen the stores to reflect who Samsung really is.

Samsung makes far too many things to simply display a watch and a tablet.

 

[mountainbikermark]

I kind of liked the idea of a Samsung only store.....I practically live in the Samsung area at Best Buy[emoji106] [emoji4]

sent from my hot Note Pro!

The one at my local BB is seldom manned and if so it seems like a regular BB employee in a different shirt. It was different when it first opened but I guess a lack of interest caused the budget cuts to the staff.

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[cr6]

See ours is the complete opposite. It takes up a huge spot in the middle of the store and there are always 3-4 BB employees covering that section alone. Everytime I go to BB I stop by the Samsung section just to play, even if there's nothing new out.

 

[grenefroggie]

It is incredible the corner Apple has on the smartphone market, retail market, online presence. I think the failing retail stores in the age of online shopping is impressive.

The iPhone and the rest of Apple's product line are not idiot proof as many people have made the reference of, myself included. However, for the Millennials that have grown up with technology from the start, it is fairly simple. Automatic WiFi back ups when the phone charges and simple tools like iTunes to backup phones make it easy to maintain a device. Android offers no such service at the length that Apple does.

So while people are generally still ignorant, Apple is doing a great job at making some things that would normally be an issue for most people really simple.

Samsung, LG, Motorola, HTC and the rest of the bunch do not support their devices nearly as well. Samsung has made efforts with Kies, but most people have issues with Kies.

If any other OEMs can pick up the pace on the support side, this could change. Poor Samsung just hasn't found a way to repeatedly entice customers year after year as Apple has.

 

[cr6]

Well put froggie. [emoji106]
That being said, I do think that out of all the other manufacturers, Samsung has done the best with at least trying to stay competitive. Both with product quality as well as with the consumer.
Which in turn is why it's been such a popular brand year after year. While they undoubtedly seem to have reached a plateau of sorts, they are still head & shoulders above their closest Android competitor in this aspect. I believe 2015 will be an interesting year, for all involved.

 

[grenefroggie]

Well put froggie. [emoji106]
That being said, I do think that out of all the other manufacturers, Samsung has done the best with at least trying to stay competitive. Both with product quality as well as with the consumer.
Which in turn is why it's been such a popular brand year after year. While they undoubtedly seem to have reached a plateau of sorts, they are still head & shoulders above their closest Android competitor in this aspect. I believe 2015 will be an interesting year, for all involved.

With great resources should come great innovation. Samsung has done many things. The Galaxy line is becoming more unimpressive as the year goes by. HTC and LG should be fighting to fill the gaps. I don't see it, because the money isn't really there. In Samsung's case, with revenue streams aiding their developments, they should be pushing the envelope each year. I would love to see a jaw dropping phone that I can't live without from them.

 

[cr6]

I'd like to see a jaw dropping phone I can't live without from ANYONE. LOL
Until technology as a whole changes, we won't be seeing anything mind blowing for awhile. The fact is, every flagship device out today, regardless of manufacturer, will do everything you currently need it to do. Now if you're taking about "looks" and overall design changes in the smartphone world, there's only so much you can do with a 5-6" device, while still maintaining its practicality. The "power" is already there. The "software" is already there, IMO.
The "connectivity" is already there. What are we left with other than "looks/design". To me, I could care less what a phone looks like on the outside since I slap a case on it anyways.
So until technical innovation as a whole actually catches up, in order to produce something truly innovative while still remaining practical in a smartphone platform, I think we're going to be waiting awhile for anything "jaw-dropping".

 

[droidprincess]

What more are we going to expect our smartphones to do??

sent from my sexy Note 4

 

[mountainbikermark]

With great resources should come great innovation. Samsung has done many things. The Galaxy line is becoming more unimpressive as the year goes by. HTC and LG should be fighting to fill the gaps. I don't see it, because the money isn't really there. In Samsung's case, with revenue streams aiding their developments, they should be pushing the envelope each year. I would love to see a jaw dropping phone that I can't live without from them.

In the world of electronics the 1 constant is the need for faster, better, cheaper with a better wow factor. If Samsung released a product that met all the above criteria in a mind blowing way they'd fall off the map inside 2 years. Janet Jackson "What have you done for me lately" fits precisely into the regular electronics innovation mindset. Apple has a following that doesn't require mind blowing as much as "just works" that Android is just catching up to now, and even then there's still gawdawful fragmentation present . With Apple what steps to open an email are in the same place, look the same and act the same no matter the device. Look at their users biggest complaints and you'll see when a new version of ios comes it's not the new functionality or bugs that cause the most hoopla, it's when they dare change how something is implemented. If they took away the 3 steps to turn on/off Bluetooth by making it a widget, the Apple crowd would revolt. Make it a pull down? No problem as long as the old way is still there and doesn't change.

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[grenefroggie]

What more are we going to expect our smartphones to do??

sent from my sexy Note 4

The answer to that question, in my opinion, is relative. Let's use the example of the Apollo 11 mission to the moon. Most smartphones these days have more horsepower in them than the computers did back then. Yet we were still able to get to the moon and back.

The Moto X is a good example of what can be done with a phone that makes it different from its competitors. It is not the most powerful phone. Most of the features are extremely useful, mainly the hands off option.