RSS Feed
April 9th, 2013 
Peter Nolan 
An LG display at a Best Buy store in suburban Dallas. The store was one of the first to roll out a new Samsung Experience Shop.
(Credit:
Shara Tibken/CNET)
Samsung’s not the only Korean electronics company expanding its retail footprint. LG too plans to open more stores this year, according to a new report.
LG plans to increase the number of its retail stores in emerging markets in an effort to boost its market share in smartphones and build a bigger reach for its consumer electronics, according to The Wall Street Journal. The publication, citing Senior Vice President Kim Ki-wan, said the company plans to grow the number of LG-branded shops by as much as 20 percent above the current level of more than 3,000.
LG will focus on stores in India, the Middle East, and Africa, and it will display and sell its various products such as smartphones, televisions, and home appliances, the report said.
We’ve contacted LG and will update the report when we have more information.
The move comes as competition heats up in the electronics market and as rivals expand their own retail strategies. Samsung last week said it plans to set up mini Samsung shops inside all U.S. Best Buy and Best Buy Mobile venues within the next couple months, just in time for the
Galaxy S4 launch. Apple also has been opening more standalone stores, and Microsoft and others are dipping their toes into the arena.
For LG, attracting more buyers to its gadgets is vital. The company largely has been struggling in the smartphone market, with Samsung and Apple dominating the bulk of sales. However, its partnership with Google on the Nexus 4 smartphone has proven successful, with the device frequently selling out. And it also is counting on its Optimus smartphone line to give it a boost. But LG still faces an uphill battle competing with Apple and Samsung, both of which have more cash to spend on crucial marketing.
Emerging markets such as China and India are becoming a key battleground for smartphone vendors. Developed markets, such as the U.S. and Western Europe, are largely experiencing slower growth, with most people now owning a phone. That makes it vital to compete in emerging areas where a smartphone may be a person’s only computing device. However, that task won’t be easy for the traditional smartphone makers, with many people in the region seeking out cheap devices from lesser known Chinese manufacturers.
Source Article from http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/cnet/tcoc/~3/dKjAOiWhlTw/
Views: 0
Posted in 
