Dell announced that it is closing its 140 kiosks in the U.S. and will focus on direct retail business. The Dell Direct Store model, which began in 2002, enabled customers to touch and feel Dell products before purchasing systems direct from the company. In the past six months the company has adopted a retail strategy that enables Dell to connect with customers it has not necessarily reached in the past. Dell is applying the advantages of its direct business model into retail where customers can purchase laptop and desktop computers in more than 10,000 retail outlets worldwide.
Dell is committed, however, to its direct business, where a majority of customers choose to shop on the phone and via the Internet to buy laptops, desktops and associated products. The kiosks outside the U.S. are not affected with the changes the company is making today.
Originally posted on January 30, 2008 @ 6:18 am