01-30-2003, 06:00 PM
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Contributing Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 8,228
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Sears to Greatly Expand Dell's Physical Presence
"Dell Computer is experimenting with a plan to extend its retail kiosk program into Sears stores. The PC manufacturer on Wednesday set up a trial site inside a Sears Roebuck store in Austin, Texas. The kiosk, measuring 10 feet by 12 feet, is a facsimile of the company's kiosk displays used elsewhere in the United States, the company said."
I am not sure how this will be better than putting the Kiosk in the mall from a shopping standpoint, but it makes it easier for Dell. They negotiate one time with Sears and are done. With malls, you negotiate with a myriad of management companies and various rules about square footage, hours of operation, etc. If nothing else, it should speed up the deployment of the kiosks.
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01-30-2003, 06:09 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 145
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I still think that Dell is making these Kiosks attempts in vain. I cannot imagine that they make that much money off of these Kiosks. People who want to buy Dell merchandise go to Dell's website. The only thing I think Dell should do is sell their Handheld line and accessories in CompUSA and/or Best Buy. They would get much more bussiness like that. People know of Dell PCs and know they should go to Dell.com to customize one, but the handheld market is close to clueless. Peopel who go into Best Buy to buy a "palm pilot" dont know that Dell.com sells a great priced, full-fledged PDA.
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01-30-2003, 06:16 PM
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Pontificator
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,264
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Seems like a bad deal for Sears. They sell computers in their stores, I would think unless you had to have your computer right then, you would order a Dell while in sears rather than buy an HP.
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01-30-2003, 06:19 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Dec 2002
Posts: 245
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Jet8810
I still think that Dell is making these Kiosks attempts in vain... People who want to buy Dell merchandise go to Dell's website. The only thing I think Dell should do is sell their Handheld line and accessories in CompUSA and/or Best Buy. They would get much more bussiness like that.
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Great point. If Dell wants to make such a huge leap in market territory the best thing for them to do is to get the product out to the general public and show them what their PDA is made of, and no other venue is better than say a Comp USA Circuit City or Best Buy.
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01-30-2003, 06:20 PM
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Contributing Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 8,228
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Jet8810
I still think that Dell is making these Kiosks attempts in vain. I cannot imagine that they make that much money off of these Kiosks. People who want to buy Dell merchandise go to Dell's website. The only thing I think Dell should do is sell their Handheld line and accessories in CompUSA and/or Best Buy. They would get much more bussiness like that. People know of Dell PCs and know they should go to Dell.com to customize one, but the handheld market is close to clueless. Peopel who go into Best Buy to buy a "palm pilot" dont know that Dell.com sells a great priced, full-fledged PDA.
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You'd be surprised. I couldn't get near the Axim and the kiosks around here in December. People were lined up to talk to a person and place their order. They'd whip out their credit card, hand it to the Dell rep that would then key it in the web site for them.
Not everyone likes the online shopping experience, and Dell is catering to them.
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01-30-2003, 06:31 PM
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Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 15,171
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Ed, re Sears vs. malls: realize that not all Sears are in malls. In NY surburbia, there are a lot of "singleton" Sears stores where such a kiosk might be a good presence.
--janak
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01-30-2003, 06:31 PM
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Thinker
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 414
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This is so odd, just plain odd.
Sears is the most stoggy, old Brick and Mortar style marketeer on earth. Dell is the absolute cutting edge in online ordering. Their instant access to new servers and the latest WWW technology puts them up at Amazon's throat.
This is like oil and water making a deal to mix. I have no idea what to make of it. I mean, I love to buy PDAs online and think it a wonderful way to go. But, I also like to have a real store, right here, so that I can go see and feel stuff and return it without shipping myself.
But, how do Sears and Dell combine to make money on a relationship that must cost both more, and add complexity to every transaction? If this works without raising Dell's price I say bully for both Sears and Dell.
I still have no clue what to make of it, though. It is like hearing that that Osama Bin Laden was chosen as Pope.
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01-30-2003, 06:45 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 145
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true. It does seem kind of odd that Dell chose SEARS of all stores to put kiosks in. Why not put a Kiosk in say, Office Depots everywhere, or even CompUSAs or Best Buys...some kind of technology related store!
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01-30-2003, 06:49 PM
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Pupil
Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 30
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Jet8810
true. It does seem kind of odd that Dell chose SEARS of all stores to put kiosks in. Why not put a Kiosk in say, Office Depots everywhere, or even CompUSAs or Best Buys...some kind of technology related store!
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Probably because they can sell to Technology savvy customers quite well already. They're trying to reach out to a segment of the market that they wouldn't otherwise reach.
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01-30-2003, 06:51 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 140
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Ed Hansberry
Not everyone likes the online shopping experience, and Dell is catering to them.
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Even more reason why they should just sell them at stores like Best Buy, Circuit city, and whereever else PDAs are sold.
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