Retailing- A visit to AT&T

     Upon a recent visit to the AT&T store on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, I understood more about retailing. The implementation and backbone of the business and its products occurs at these locations and this specific establishment is considered a specialty store. AT&T Inc. is the largest provider of fixed telephony in the United States, and also provides broadband and subscription television services. AT&T is the second largest provider of mobile telephony service in the United States, with over 85.1 million wireless customers, and more than 210 million total customers. (Wikipedia)

     When I first entered, I was greeted by a sales person, assisting another customer, which made me feel welcomed even though the associate was pre-occupied. We know that the retailer became a large hit with the release of Apple’s Iphone in early 2007.My company’s phone is also sold here, Blackberry, which excited me due to the new release of the Blackberry Torch.

Promotions were available on most models, both Iphone and Blackberry devices, with a two-year contract for services. The prices were higher on devices that offered internet, multimedia, and other features but phones of lesser advances were few. The fact is consumers want a phone that works, but one that has many features. I found less than a handful of phones that were moderately priced and those devices weren’t much beyond a phone with keys.

Customer service is important and AT&T prides itself in providing its customers premier customer service. On store level, there is a designated Service Desk for assistance with defective devices, interrupted service, or any other issue the customer may be having. I lost my Blackberry a couple months ago and remember going into my carrier’s store. The staff was not only accommodating, but assisted with trying to locate the lost/stolen phone and reestablishing my service. Although my service was via Tmobile, AT&T had a very similar setup on store level. 

Beyond the top two players in this store, the products and services offered were mixed and varied. A phone was represented for each market based on cost, performance, and user-friendliness. Truly it’s a smart move of the retailer to offer the products of not one, but many cellular manufacturers. This enables the store to attract customers from every market possible. Manufacturers, although for a majority do not have a physical store, can be comforted that a retailer such as AT&T and others can promote, and strengthen the brands overall awareness. 

Blackberry and RIM currently only have a handful of stores, of which one in Farmington, MI is the only one in the United States. A store was also opened in Beijing, China recently. An interesting fact about Blackberry stores is most that have been implemented, have folded shortly after. On the other hand, a Blackberry store called BlackStore in Caracas, Venezuela makes Venezuela one of the biggest BlackBerry consumers in the world. Blackberry can learn a bit more about the retail world. By choosing select cities in which a high percentage of consumers use Blackberries, stores can be placed. Locations can effectively attract new customers, troubleshoot problems, and educate the surrounding communities about Blackberry-its products and brand.