Samsung's new retail store in Australia has an Apple-like appearance

As Apple waits on a jury to decide whether Samsung copied its iPhone and iPad, Samsung has opened a new store in Sydney, Australia, that bears a striking resemblance to Apple's own retail operations.

The new "Samsung Experience Store" is located in Sydney's George Street, just a block from Apple's own retail location. Highlighted on Thursday by The Sydney Morning Herald, the retail location features a glass entrance, employees in blue shirts, and minimalist tables that showcase Samsung's smartphones, tablets and computers.

Though Samsung representatives insist that Apple had nothing to do with the location or the design of its new store. But as author Asher Moses noted, the location is "uncannily Apple-esque."

Tyler McGee, Samsung's vice president of telecommunications in Australia, said the location of Apple's Sydney store "didn't even come into the equation when we were looking for a location." When asked about similarities between the layouts of the Samsung and Apple stores, McGee said the storefront design is "the layout we use around the world, and it's about basically giving the consumers the opportunity to interact, learn and play with our devices."

Samsung came under fire last year for another retail location that featured Apple's App Store and Safari icons on a decorative app wall, but after the story gained traction it was revealed that the app wall inside the store was not commissioned by Samsung, which has a mini-shop inside of a larger Euronics store in Catania, Italy.

The grand opening of the new Samsung store in Sydney comes as a California jury is currently deliberating the patent infringement trial between Samsung and Apple. That legal battle began over a year ago, when Apple first sued Samsung and accused the company of copying the look and feel of the iPhone and iPad.

89 Comments

bullhead 493 comments · 14 Years

About 12 years ago

Is there anything Apple makes or does which Samesung does not copy? A newsworthy item would be if Samesung made or did something which did not rip off Apple or someone else. Wonder why the Samesung store does not sell TVs, Appliances, Vacuum cleaners, etc... Why only sell phones, computers, and tablets just like the Apple Store. But of course Samesung is not copying.

richl 2211 comments · 17 Years

Quote:

Originally Posted by AppleInsider

The new "Samsung Experience Store" is located in Sydney's George Street, just a block from Apple's own retail location. Highlighted on Thursday by The Sydney Morning Herald, the retail location features a glass entrance, employees in blue shirts, and minimalist tables that showcase Samsung's smartphones, tablets and computers.

I've been to the Samsung Experience Store in London and the Sydney store looks very similar. The main focus of the store was television sets, not computing devices. TVs dominate the store in terms of both space and placement.

But don't let that fact get in the way of a good Samsung-bashing story.

845032 76 comments · 13 Years

What is the problem here?

Was apple patented all store should belong to them ?

Microsoft store is OK. Sony store is OK. But, Samsung store is bad ?

And don't forget Apple store itself is copy of "Sony Style store"

retrogusto 1124 comments · 16 Years

Interviewer: "Can this be interpreted any other way than 'fast-following' Apple's store?"

Samsung Employee: "No, not at all."

I guess that's not what he meant to say, but it's still funny. The blue shirts are pretty shameless, as is the support desk with "Samsung Smart Tutors" (mentioned in the WSJ article: http://allthingsd.com/20120823/samsung-opens-new-apple-store-in-australia/)