Dell Reconsidering Direct Model. Dell Retail?

[aarond12]

Lol

Think more cinderblock and bland architecture.

LOL! I was in Northpark Mall at the Apple store last week, and one of the questions I overhead from a customer was, "Can I take it home today?" They came from across the hallway where there is a Dell store.

It just amazes me that Dell would get expensive retail space in Northpark mall (one of the nicest malls in the Dallas area), just so people would order online and wait 3+ days for their new system.

What a buzzkill.

 

[localoid]

...In the memo, Dell suggested that they would be restructuring beyond the "direct sales" model. ...

No matter what Dell does, their PCs won't have OS X...

But, expanding beyond direct sales would be wise for Dell to do this simply due to the current popularity of laptops/notebooks vs. desktop systems. Look at Apple's Mac sales -- they sell more notebooks than desktop systems.

Laptop/notebook are more a more "personal" purchase than a desktop. Many people will buy desktops based on its specs, without taking the actual PC for a test drive. On the other hand, most people, esp. professionals, that purchase a notebook would want to have a hands on experience with the product.

Dell realizes that they'd benefit from increased sale from having a retail outlet of some kind. A place where people interested in buying a laptop/notebook would want to actually try the darn thing out, to see how the laptop looks and feels, plus trying out its keyboard/pointer system, vs. simply looking at a photo of a laptop online.

 

[aarond12]

Dell realizes that they'd benefit from increased sale from having a retail outlet of some kind. A place where people interested in buying a laptop/notebook would want to actually try the darn thing out, to see how the laptop looks and feels, plus trying out its keyboard/pointer system, vs. simply looking at a photo of a laptop online.

Dell already has kiosks in many major malls and stores in others (see post above yours).

 

[timothyjay2004]

Hmmm…

Hmmm... I was thinking of something more along the lines of this...

 

[Yoursh]

Laptop/notebook are more a more "personal" purchase than a desktop. Many people will buy desktops based on its specs, without taking the actual PC for a test drive. On the other hand, most people, esp. professionals, that purchase a notebook would want to have a hands on experience with the product.

Dell realizes that they'd benefit from increased sale from having a retail outlet of some kind. A place where people interested in buying a laptop/notebook would want to actually try the darn thing out, to see how the laptop looks and feels, plus trying out its keyboard/pointer system, vs. simply looking at a photo of a laptop online.

I think your right on the money with this one. The main reason I bought my first mac(ibook) was simply for the reason that I could go in to a local Apple store and play around with the different models. When I needed to get my first notebook computer, I wanted to feel comfortable with whatever I got. I wasn't going to buy something sight unseen.

But like others, I don't know if they will be able to differentiate themselves enough from the big-box stores to make retail outlets work. They may be able to do it by taking Apple's example and make their stores more than a 'computer store'. If they can leverage some of their other products, TV's and monitors for example, they may be able to get enough foot traffic to boost the pc sales. I think this is one of the things that makes the Apple stores so profitable. People go in looking for the ipods and walk out with Mac's.

 

[stompy]

Meanwhile, the tide has turned in the past 10 years, as many will remember that Michael Dell had said in 1997 when asked what could be done to fix Apple (who was losing marketshare and money at the time):

If Dell ends up with true retail outlets, the following link is even funnier: Michael Dell's take on Apple's retail plans.

 

[oscuh]

Rofl

Hmmm... I was thinking of something more along the lines of this...

This picture just made my day

 

[localoid]

Dell already has kiosks in many major malls and stores in others (see post above yours).

Yeah, I know. But it's not a "complete" retail experience. You can't take the product home with you, and there's little reason to go back later, if you do buy. You want a "complete" store to keep your valuable customers coming back, and buying something... anything, to take home with them, even if it just a new mouse.