Best Buy Swaps Intel Mini Stores For Alienware Displays

Image courtesy of JeepersMedia

Best Buy offers customers a range of “experiences” through an array of mini-stores, including those from AT&T, Verizon, Oculus, Samsung, and Intel. Now, the company is revamping one of those concepts, swapping out dozens of Intel store-within-a-store showcases to feature products from Alienware instead.

The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports that Best Buy will change about 50 Intel specialty shops into Alienware PC Gaming Experience zones featuring gaming laptops and desktops.

The mini-stores, which measure about 200 square feet, were used to display Intel’s augmented reality and 3-D printing products. However, many of those products weren’t actually for sale.

That will change with the Alienware shops, as customers will be able to test out the customizable laptops and systems that cost up to $1,500 before purchasing them.

Additionally, the new shops will employee a dedicated PC gaming specialist, who can answer questions, demonstrate products, and offer advice on systems.

“We’re always moving things around in our stores to give a great customer experience,” a Best Buy spokesperson tells the Star Tribune.

The addition of the Alienware mini-stores — and their pricier system — comes just a week after Best Buy reported that sales had fallen slightly, thanks in part to exploding smartphones and a “softness” in the video game market.

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