Samsung launches Concept Shop in Karachi

Outlet will cater to demand for luxury electronics.

KARACHI: To capitalise on growing demand for top-notch electronic items, Samsung Electronics – one of the global leaders in digital appliances – is expanding operations in the country; targeting high-end consumers in mega-cities through its ‘Samsung Concept Shops’.

“We are trying to expand our customer-base, particularly for smart TVs,” Hae Duck Lee, Samsung’s AV Manager said, while responding to a question about the company’s premium products at the inauguration ceremony of the Samsung Concept Shop in Karachi on Monday. “Hopefully, this concept shop will act as a hub for our high-end customers,” he said.

The concept shop – which displays a range of products from mobile phones, to home appliances and audio visual products – has been set up in the heart of Gulshan-e-Iqbal. It lies in the close vicinity of Metro Cash and Cary and the under-construction site of Hyperstar 2 – two other large distributors of Samsung’s electronic appliances. Lee, however, said they have a vast customer experience, particularly in TV technology, which gives them an advantage over competitors. Gulshan-e-Iqbal, according to Lee, is a high-profile locality and the right place for their top-tier products.

Telecommunication companies’ expansion into services providing cable, internet and telephone connection in a combined package has created an appetite for products like smart TV. Samsung has been quick to capitalise on this demand; its 3D compatible smart TV, for example, is designed for luxury entertainment purposes. Though expensive, the product has built-in applications for social media content such as Skype, YouTube and Facebook, to name but a few.

The Korean electronics giant has planned to set up a series of Samsung concept shops in big cities across Pakistan, according to Public Relations Manager Sadaf Iqbal. The one launched today is the seventh in a series of concept shops, Iqbal said, most of which already cater to big cities in Punjab. Unlike dealer shops, the concept shop will exclusively sell Samsung products.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 27^th, 2012.