Last month, Samsung opened doors to its first Canadian retail store in Vancouver which many believe, took its simple and sleek design from Apple store with opportunities for customers to go hands-on with smartphones and tablets as well as a corner similar to Apple’s ‘Genius Bar’ to assist the customers. Today, another Samsung flagship store opened on Sydney’s George Street which is not only a block away from Apple’s Sydney store but also has a striking resemblance to its design complete with blue shirt-wearing sales staff (via Daring Fireball).
While Samsung continues to deny its new store’s basic design has anything to do with an Apple Store, it showcases all the smartphones and tablets that invite customers to pick up and play in a minimalist environment. The source notes that everything from store layout to the sales staff to the products and even the packaging and promotional material is just like how you find it on an Apple store.
Samsung Australia’s vice-president of telecommunications, Tyler McGee, said Apple didn’t even come into the equation when we were looking for a location. He further argued that this is the layout that we use around the world and “it’s about basically giving the consumers the opportunity to interact, learn and play with our devices”. While Samsung has done will copying the general appearance of an Apple store, Gary Allen from ifoAppleStore believes that Samsung will find it a lot more difficult to copy the excitement that Apple’s stores generate for its customers.
So guys, what do you think about this one? Another lawsuit coming up or what?
Want to see more of our stories on Google?
P.S. Want to keep this site truly independent? Support us by buying us a beer, treating us to a coffee, or shopping through Amazon here. Links in this post are affiliate links, so we earn a tiny commission at no charge to you. Thanks for supporting independent Canadian media!
“Gary Allen from ifoAppleStore believes that Samsung will find it a lot more difficult to copy the excitement that Apple’s stores generate for its customers.”
Wow, what an unbiased source of information.
Anyone can tell you Samsung’s stores are an Apple Store knockoff. Even Microsoft stores look exactly the same. Blue shirts? Come on…
I would whole-heatedly disagree. Blue is the most common color worn to an employment interview and is the most popular color shirt around the world. It’s also one of those calming colors that is just associated with business and sales. To say they copied a color of a shirt is a tad bit silly.
Okay I see your point. But looking at the whole concept of the store from a few steps back…it’s pretty hard to ignore the similarities, no?
Oh I agree Gary. Samsung is pathetic. Pretty much an apple store but with shitty products lol.
For sure. Blue shirts do make sense for Samsung given that their logo is blue. Have you seen any of the new Telus/Bell tier 1 stores? They are quite similar to Apple stores in many ways. Companies always will present products in whatever way creates the most sales. Apples seems to have created one of the better ways to present technology.
Samsung is just ridicules
Copying is a form of flattery.
Samsung’s attitude that all this copying is just coincidence is getting a little old. One or two similarities, sure, but when your products look the same, your stores look the same and even your sales staff are dressed similarly I’ve got to be a bit suspicious.
Well Apple copied Bestbuy with the blue shirt right? lol
The lay out of the store will always be similar, the products have to be available for customers to interact with them. Every store has a genius bar, Bestbuy and future shop have geek squad desk as well. Samsung might have copied but not to extent that is being suggested….
But where are all the fridges?
haha
It doesn’t look like an Apple store, it looks like a normal electronics company store. Samsung is such a creative company, otherwise Apple won’t buy the IPhone and the IPad parts from them.
Yawn. Apple didn’t invent hardwood floors and front store windows. It’s a Gap set up with electronics instead of clothes. Give me a break. I’m really getting tired of this Apple copycat BS. Apple is already doing enough to destroy the industry without them trying to lay claim to store design.