Verizon is aiming for a next-gen retail experience at 200 store locations according to a report by Wave7 Research, which says it visited the first of these stores at one of Verizon’s retail locations in San Francisco. Verizon’s yet to be promoted change-up for its retail space is said to be much more open and roomy for customers, allowing them to move about more freely in a comfortable environment that fosters a relaxing, laid back shopping experience where customers can take their time exploring everything on display.
While Verizon hasn’t overhauled nearly the amount of stores that are reportedly on track for this visual and atmospheric shift, it’s said to have opened more than just the San Francisco location, including four in Indianapolis and 19 altogether. The new stores will get that “next-gen” approach in part by incorporating large sections of the floor space to Google VR displays and experiences that customers will be able to check out while they shop, and it’s also suggested that the U.S.’ largest wireless carrier may be working closely with Google to get everything up to speed. This new environment would place emphasis on virtual reality products like Google’s Daydream headset in addition to having sections of the store dedicated to Google’s Pixel lineup, which currently includes the Pixel and Pixel XL, the two phones which launched alongside the Daydream platform and the Daydream View VR headset.
These new locations are said to be corporate stores and may take the next two years before all of them have been retrofitted with the new look, but once done the goal is to allow customers more time to shop. Wireless retail locations sometimes have a tendency to feel crowded and chaotic, with employees often checking in on customers at a more rapid pace, and these new layouts seek to change that. While Verizon is seemingly looking to create a more comfortable and fun approach with this new layout that will include some of the more modern tech, it’s not all about bringing its retail spaces into the future. Verizon has reportedly said that the new look for its planned corporate locations allowed for the ability to stock more products on the floor but also decrease the amount of space taken up, citing a 25 percent increase in products that are out in open view for customers while lowering the floor space that was taken up by about 50 percent. This will allow more exposure to everything that Verizon has to offer which means more customer interaction, and potentially more sales. Naturally, this should go over well with customers, as having more time to test out products and more room to do it in could be more inviting.