Dell to sell its computers and other gear at Staples stores

[thatcrazycajun]

Courtesy of several sources, but only CNetNews.com has actually put it out there presently: This report says that Dell Computer Corp. is going to start selling its wares at stores of the Staples office-supply megachain next month. Coming on the heels of a previous similar deal between the Texas-based Wintel-box colossus and Wal-Mart Stores Inc., this would seem to indicate that Dell believes the time is finally right to give its customers a way to buy their stuff other than online, through phone or catalog orders...and that they've learned the key lesson from the debacle that was Gateway Country: namely, let someone else have the headaches of retail overhead and just lease some space in their stores, rather than opening your own. Of course, this doesn't explain the soaraway success of the Apple Stores; but then, Apple is the only PC maker not named Hewlett-Packard who's shown any sign of even coming close to nipping at Dell's heels.

Comments

[scruffycritter.livejournal.com]

I don't think it's a lesson learned from Gateway. Well, okay, that lesson said "Don't go whole hog on the store concept". Dell Kiosks have been around for a while doing the same thing and do a damn good job (we would have bought HP if not for one of them).

It's just HP machines are in Staples stores and Dell machines are not. It's YetAnotherSaleschannel.

[fringefan.livejournal.com]

But will Dell take some of the humanpower thus freed up from selling computers and plow it back into providing real customer service, restoring the aspect of ownership that made Dell renowned a decade ago--and that it largely allowed to slide half a decade ago?

Dell made its name not only by making good computers, but also by being there to hold customers' hands if they were having problems or merely confused.
<-----10-22-2007-----MSG----->

[ericavdg.livejournal.com]

Hi, Marc! *wave, hug, kiss* Long time no see! Gonna check out your blog. Please have a look at mine. It's the kind of thing I would have written for your apa if I hadn't been too busy with Life: The Graduate Course. Say hi to the wife and kid for me.

[redaxe.livejournal.com]

The success of the Apple stores can be attributed largely to two things: (1) the religious-level devotion of Apple users to their products and (2) the monopoly the company holds over its production and distribution (while they do distribute via other outlets, the Apple stores have advantages over places like CompUSA).

Dell, vice versa, is learning that it needs broader distribution to make its market share grow (or even maintain it); online and phone sales are wonderful things, but they need a full-spectrum sales approach to remain the leader). You're right that they couldn't have opened their own stores the way Apple has, mainly because Dell isn't the same sort of icon as Apple is, and its users, while supportive, are not as jihad-passionate about their products as are Apple folks.