Site Visit: Best Buy Mobile

Shopping for a mobile phone in the US is a pretty uninspiring expenditure of time. With the exception of some flagship stores like Nokia which really provide an experience, most mobile stores are a cacophony of neon lighting and garish paint. This is somewhat the result of independent retailers being left to their own devices when it comes to store design and merchandising.

Beyond that, mobile carriers and regulations have driven retailers to sell plans versus phones. In Europe it’s a whole different story. There is far more choice in what phone and plan you want to put together. As we reported yesterday, it looks like the retail mobile phone landscape is going to get a lot more interesting soon. And don’t forget about this.

Best Buy looks to be taking a position ahead of the curve with the opening of five ‘test’ mobile stores in NYC. These five are a mix of smaller(@1000 sq ft) stand alone locations and in-store dedicated mobile areas. The charter for the store is displayed behind the checkout:

Why We’re Here:

We all know by now that mobile phone technology is pretty amazing.

But shopping for it isn’t.
At Best Buy Mobile, we think there’s a better way. We think you deserve:

A better choice of phones and networks.

Impartial, informed advice.

Straightforward pricing.

Someone to be there for you and the life of your phone.

The stores are the first fruits of a joint
venture with The Carphone Warehouse, the largest independent mobile
phone retailer in Europe. The deal, announced in September, also calls
for Best Buy to establish a Geek Squad-type IT support service for
Carphone within its home market of the United Kingdom in early 2007.

The stores themselves are modern and simple. Phones are displayed on floor fixtures paired with overhead lighting elements that cast a subtle blue glow. Accessories are displayed in framed out wall cases. The space doesn’t feel over branded or graphically cluttered. Best Buy has also made an effort of staff up the area assuring most customers of immediate personal assistance. We visited the Union Square location last week shortly after the opening day.

Here’s a few more photos from our visit: [ 1 ]   [ 2 ]   [ 3 ]