Verizon stores were “functional,” but they made you want to get in and get out with as little “pain and frustration” as possible. Well, all of that is about to change as Verizon announced its first new store redesign – Destination Store at Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota. It covers over 9,700 square feet and is designed to helping customers see all of the ways that wireless technology can enhance their lives. They can speak with representatives (called specialists) and experience the many wireless gadgets, apps, and tech gear all running on the Verizon Wireless 4G LTE network.
According to their website, the store is broken up into five interactive Lifestyle Zones:
- Get Fit – for the active and fitness buff
- Amplify It – for the music aficionado
- Have Fun – for gamers
- Home and On the Go – for home monitoring and energy management
- Anywhere Business – for the mobile professional and entrepreneur
Destination Stores also include a dedicated workshop area with seating that allows an education specialist to share tips about getting the most out of a device. Customers can also visit the Customize It Zone where you can create customized covers for your devices and even personalize them with photos. A huge Focus Wall at the back of the store allows customers to see themselves appear as avatar surfers, guitarists and more.
Verizon said that the Destination Store announced today is simply the start of a broader plan that includes redesigning more than 1,700 Verizon Wireless retail stores into what they call, “Smart Stores,” throughout the U.S. The newly designed Smart Stores will mimic the Destination Store’s mobile Lifestyle Zones, only on a smaller scale.
Verizon Wireless is going to introduce new ways of doing business to make shopping and using their services easier and more convenient – as well as more personalized:
- Solution, Education, and Experience Specialists will all use portable tablets so they can spend more time with the customer.
- Online shopping will use a discovery engine to make recommendations based on the past purchases of the customer.
- Verizon will integrate their systems so if I look at something online or place the item in my cart, the in-store Specialist will be able to pick up where I left off.
- Verizon will also offer in-store pickup for items ordered online.
- Verizon, in October, introduced “same-day delivery” in five cities and plans to expand this service in the upcoming months.
The Destination Store in Mall of America will open its doors on November 20 at 7 pm, and expects to open more of this style store in high-traffic areas across the U.S. Let us know in the comments or on Google+ if you would like one of these stores in your area. Sounds like a huge improvement over the usual Verizon experience when you enter a retail store.