Keeping in line with its new retail strategy, the computer giant Dell ( News - Alert) said it will be closing all of its 140 U.S. kiosks, which it launched back in 2002 to showcase its product line, as it continues to expand its presence in retail stores. According to a Reuters ( News - Alert) report, Dell spokesman Bob Kaufman said Dell will keep about 50 kiosks outside the United States.
“We recognized early on that customers really wanted to touch and see the products before they purchased them. That led us to the kiosk model,” said Kaufman. “Now, customers can touch and feel our products before buying them at one of our retail partners.”
The Dell kiosks offered customers an opportunity to test products and learn more about other details, like pricing, and compare different models. They could even place an order. The only thing they could not do was to take the product home.
This policy of offering the kiosks for worked well when Dell sold computers only through online channels. But, as competition grew and as customers demanded to physically examine the products before they ordered it, Dell was forced to look for alternative methods. Gradually, the company concluded that kiosks may not be the best approach going forward.
In 2006, HP overtook Dell as the largest PC maker in the world, selling largely through retail outlets. This forced Michael Dell, who again assumed control of the business a year ago, to reassess its 23-year-old selling policy and, ultimately, to this change.
Reflecting its changing sales policies, the company started selling computers at Wal-Mart Stores, and later announced agreements with France's Carrefour SA and China's GOME Electrical Appliances Holding Ltd, among others.
Raju Shanbhag is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To see more of his articles, please visit his columnist page.
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