Verizon has unveiled their “Next Gen” store in New York City, closeby to Bryant Park. They are giving a makeover to the experience of shopping for a phone. Shopping for a new phone at a carrier store was usually seen as a long transaction. With customers upgrading their phones more often and implementing more tech into their lifestyle overall, there are more deals and incentives from carriers to come in and shop. Verizon has introduced Next Gen stores to make it a more friendly “human” experience as opposed to a business transaction.
Verizon Next Gen Store Regions:
- The Discovery Region lets you discover and explore the latest and greatest products. Here you can check out the hottest and most talked about devices and accessories.
- The Collaborate Region is all about community. We’ve designed collaborative spaces where you can work together to learn about the latest technologies.
- The Guided Region is where you can get clear explanations of how products and systems work, and staff is available for in-depth guided demonstrations.
- The Basics Region is all about the essentials. It provides a quick grab-and-go area when you know what you want, in order to get in and out quickly.
I stopped by a few days ago to check out the new store and it’s pretty nice. I was given a tour by the store’s General Manager, Shaunessy Bethune-Caine who highlighted the different regions in the store. The new design is clean, well lit, and allows for better interaction between the Verizon reps and the customers. The first thing you see when you walk in is their new / trending product for the month. There are “regions” to cater to the different needs of the customer and also to highlight different products that are on trend. The store is designed to meet the customer’s need, quickly. As you can see from the pictures, the tables and chairs are placed closely to ensure a sort of more informal transaction. This is a better customer service experience, for example, setting up devices together, or getting help with features and settings on a device. Everything from portable speakers, to phone accessories and headphones, are available to test and /or purchase. The “touching” of a product makes it “real”. The shopper is more informed now and usually wants to experience the product, hands-on and information from the staff can be helpful. It brings physical and digital experience together.
Next Gen is Personal and Interactive
The first thing you see when you walk in is their new and trending product for the month (right now it was the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus). There are “regions” to cater to the different needs of the customer and also to highlight different products that are on trend. The store is designed to meet the customer’s need, quickly. As you can see from the pictures, the tables and chairs are placed closely to ensure a sort of more informal transaction. This is a better customer service experience, for example, setting up devices together, or getting help with features on a device. Everything from portable speakers, to phone accessories and headphones, are available to test and /or purchase. The “touching” of a product makes it real and with interaction
The “What We Love” section has items the Verizon staff enjoys was one of my favorites. It brings more variety to the section since everyone’s tastes are different. The “New Releases” section has some of the latest tech accessories out and open for customers to play and interact with. Something else that was so simple, yet made a big difference was the wall of cases they had out in the open. Customers can finally test out the feel and fit of cases before buying. You can also try new gadgets such as VR headsets. Being able to introduce customers to new tech in-store is important for them to understand how it works, and want to purchase it for further use.
Verizon is looking to offer a more personal and convenient experience with their NextGen store. Download the Verizon app to find a store near you.
