Samsung Canada expands Samsung Experience Stores to West Edmonton Mall

EDMONTON – Good morning folks, today I talked about the new Samsung Experience Store at WEM, a phone’s throw away across from the Apple Store.

This is Samsung Canada’s third Experience Store, following two earlier brand stores in Burnaby and Richmond, BC. They are the only ones in North America, unique to Samsung Canada. There are dozens of  ‘shop-in’ stores inside larger big box partner outlets in both countries.

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“There’s more to this than showing products in a beautiful display…it’s about consumers having a chance to see how a phone works with a tablet, works with the TV, works with a camera seamlessly and some of the amazing things they do”, said James Politeski, President of Samsung Canada.

The brightly lighted store with a staff of eight, features the newest hands-on Samsung products with an emphasis on phones, tablets and cameras, also featuring Samsung top tier TV models.

The Play More, Do More, Share More store conveys a better experience that traditional stores where a single product is discussed at a time. If you already have a phone, for example, you can see how it communicates with the other Samsung family. “We are highlighting experience eco systems,” said Politeski.

(Watch: Politeski demonstrates screen mirroring at the Samsung Experience Store) 

(Watch: Politeski demonstrates  fast smartphone typing at the Samsung Experience Store) 

Getting in-store Samsung product repair while you wait, like cracked screens, or free any level 1:1 tech advice (there is also a dedicated “Smart” meeting room for larger group appointments) rounds off the easy-going experience for consumers. The service centre would advise a customer if a repair required additional action.

Politeski said brand stores have shown a higher attachment to related phone sales like computers, tablets and cameras which Samsung also makes.

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Joining the other dedicated hi-tech stores nearby at WEM like the Apple and Sony Store, Samsung is aggressively marketing its products in a grass roots level in what is shaping to be an even more competitive mobile device market, locally and globally.

The attraction of data connected devices to newcomers and demand for faster Internet connections by current users is a high stakes business for phone makers and cellcos.

Samsung, who has the lion’s share of phones shipped worldwide followed by Apple, is also competing against other similarly Android-based smartphones and tablets. Its most popular 4S smartphone, Note 3 phablet and Gear smart watch re-enforces Samsung’s gradual change from a “smart copier” of ten years ago to a “smart leader” of personal technology gadgets. Yet the company continues with new products and more aggressive marketing.

The Korean tech giant’s ability to quickly turn around new smart phones and multi priced variations of tablets and a growing selection of its own personal and business applications will meet head-on with a new wave of world-priced phones from Lenovo who recently purchased Motorola’s Mobile from Google. Unless Apple decides to also make affordable entry phones for developing countries, the race for world phone domination will be between Android phones with Samsung in the lead.

Speaking of competition (you can buy products at the store) Politeski sees the Samsung Experience Store as a valuable partner to big box stores like Best Buy and Future Shop who sell the same Samsung products. “We try different things in our store and openly share experiences with our partners,” said    Politeski. The store sells products and the phones pre-connected to the customer’s choice of region Cellco providers.

In conjunction to the store opening, Samsung Canada is sponsoring the 10th annual Family Day Atom Tournament this weekend at WEM ending today, Sunday.

Samsung Canada President James Politeski, and self-confessed hands-on techie enthusiast, shows screen mirroring, to wirelessly project his Galaxy Note 3 screen to a Samsung TV and use the remote to control media playback volume. Politeski was at the Samsung Experience Store opening at West Edmonton Mall this week.