Motorola turns Moto Maker into a boutique retail experience in Chicago
Branded technology store experiences are nothing new. Going back far enough, Sony had its own stores, as did Gateway and Dell at one point. Apple started its chain of stores, Microsoft followed, and Samsung and Google have dabbled in the idea. The reality is that everyone loves to be able to sell directly to customers without going through chain retailers like Best Buy, but not every company can viably do so. Motorola is the latest to test the waters of retail boutiques.
Motorola doesn't have the popularity of the other companies mentioned, so it is starting small with one boutique shop opening this Saturday in Chicago. It looks quite nice too. It has the spartan look of an Apple or Microsoft store, but with big swaths of texture from wood panels and brick walls. Even just from the images it looks more warm and inviting than a sterile white Apple Store (opinion alert!).
The store will feature: a Moto Maker section so you can get your hands on the new Moto X Pure with all of the various leather and wood backing options; a Moto 360 section to let you see and try out the various color/band options for Motorola's smartwatch; a "Moto Shoot" area to test out the Moto X Pure camera; and, even a "Drop Zone" to test out the durability of the Droid Turbo 2 ShatterShield display.
The store will open this Saturday, November 7th at 10am, with a grand opening party happening next Saturday the 14th. There is no word yet if this store will be a permanent fixture on N State St in Chicago, or if it will only be around for the holidays, but we would guess that might depend on the success it has. We like what Motorola does though, so we would be happy to see Moto expand eventually.
source: Motorola
FCC OKs Cingular\'s purchase of AT&T Wireless
Things that are NOT allowed: