Verizon has opened an Apple-esque store in the DC area in an apparent attempt to lure customers into signing up for its new cable service. From the Washington Post:

The company’s new store, Verizon Experience, is an attempt to stand out from traditional phone stores. Instead of a few sales assistants at a counter as shoppers wait impatiently in lines, nearly 20 sales people roam the floor and help customers at different stations.
Half a dozen big-screen TVs show high-definition movies. A row of laptops display video games for customers to play. Specialists at the Guru Zone help people customize their purchases and set up e-mail accounts. And there are cellphones, too.

Ooh, how fancy, but “Guru Zone”? Could that be any more late ’90s? How about Xtreme Guru Zone? Oh well, as long as a little competition from Verizon lowers everyone’s cable bill, we’re happy.—MEGHANN MARCO

Verizon Store Follows Apple’s Example [Washington Post]