Monday, May 22, 2006

Dell fails to understand the meaning of "relationship"

Part of NorthPark's shiny new mall expansion will include a Dell storefront and apparently it's exactly what we've all been yearning for: "'Consumers want to have a deeper relationship with Dell,' said Ted Schadler, an analyst at Forrester Research. 'All the stars are in alignment for this to be successful, for it to work, if Dell can execute.'"

I don't know about that deeper relationship so much, but let's be generous. Dell's gotta do something. And while you might be tempted to think they're simply copying the Apple store -- getting shoppers excited about computers as "storage bins for their photos and personal files, entertainment centers" -- there will in fact be a key difference. The Dell store will have no inventory.

Yeah, I had to re-read that too.

You know, maybe if you live in Hayward, Wisconsin, you can appreciate a retail concept patterned after the Sears catalog store. In Dallas? At NorthPark? That might be rough.

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