The headline Dell plans to open two retail stores is a little misleading; if you read just a little bit into it, it is apparent that these will be more of a place to see and touch a Dell, and then (hopefully, for Dell) make a purchase. The delivery would still be direct from the manufacturer to the consumer.
That being the case, the only loss will be whatever they’ll need to pay for the retail space, and the staff to run it — but I assume they have done the math and expect increased sales to compensate for that.
It’s not too surprising to hear it; I passed a Dell kiosk in the mall just the other day. A store space would be the same idea, just a little more space and more staff.
I’m not convinced it’s a great idea, but they’re in business, and I’m not, so I guess we’ll see. ;-)
