Samsung's new London experience zone is digital playground

By IANS | Published: September 10, 2019 04:24 PM2019-09-10T16:24:07+5:302019-09-10T16:35:08+5:30

Persuading people to buy high-tech gadgets is not easy when there are so many things to understand about upgraded devices and software, but Samsung Electronics Co.'s new experience store here seems to offer an answer to this challenge.

Samsung's new London experience zone is digital playground | Samsung's new London experience zone is digital playground

Samsung's new London experience zone is digital playground

The South Korean tech giant opened Samsung KX in Coal Drops Yard, a shopping and dining district in the hip King's Cross area, last week to showcase its latest smartphones, televisions, home appliances and other devices.

What makes the new design space different from its other experience stores is that it doesn't have checkout counters, Yonhap news agency reported on Tuesday. Customers just play with the latest gadgets and learn how to use them.

"Samsung KX is a digital playground for millennials and Generation Z, who crave unique experiences," Kim Min-jae, a senior professional at Samsung's global marketing centre, said.

"This place combines IT products with culture and art to strengthen customer engagement. People can get their first experience of what kind of latest technologies are available on their smartphones and other devices."

Millennials are people born between the early 1980s and mid-1990s, and Generation Z consists of those born in the following decade both have used digital devices from an early age.

The 1858-square-meter store offers a wide range of experiences, from co-working and face-to-face learning via devices to entertainment and cooking.

One of the most popular experiences was "spraying" digital graffiti on a massive 10-meter curved screen covering one corner of the shop.

Using a custom Galaxy S10 smartphone equipped with sensors, people can paint on a range of digital London backdrops and share their creations on social media.

"It's such an interactive idea and it's cool," said Julia Frey, who works for a London-based tech firm. "You can really adjust the painting yourself by moving the smartphone and it actually makes sound when you shake it."

Customers can send augmented reality (AR) notes for others to unfold. Those who want a unique, personalized collage can create their own 3D figures using smartphones and can custom design their own Samsung phone case and get it for free.

The store's digital cockpit demonstrates the connected driving experience. Smart home solutions enable the user to check inside the fridge or answer the doorbell directly from the front seat.

Those who like games can try virtual reality racing games and check out content using Samsung's 8K televisions.

Though the store doesn't have any of the displayed products in stock, staff can help people to order online. They can also arrange repair services.

Samsung said the experience store has about 80 support staff from different backgrounds, including film, cooking and fashion, offering services in 25 languages to embrace visitors from around the world.

Freddee Lewis, a member of the support staff at Samsung KX, said it is a showroom where people come and experience products for an introduction to the company's ecosystem.

"We can show them what we can offer and what they can learn from what we have here," Lewis said.

"In that way, they can really understand what they really need or what can really help them. Then they might decide to buy something and check out products online. It's important to have a conversation with people and inform them what is available."

( With inputs from IANS )

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