Photo: Josh Davidson for Cult of Mac
LG Electronics threw in the towel on manufacturing smartphones earlier this year. Now, according to a new report, it’s considering stocking Apple products in its 400 LG Best Shops stores in South Korea.
Apple and LG are supposedly negotiating for an Apple store-within-a-store setup that will sell iPhones, iPads, and Apple Watches. This sounds similar to a similar concept Apple ran inside CompUSA outlets around the United States in the late 1990s. As with the CompUSA mini-stores, the new LG store-within-a-stores may reportedly be staffed by Apple employees.
Business Korea notes that:
“The two sides have yet to decide when the partnership starts, but some market experts predict that it will be some time after the end of July when LG Electronics completely pull out of the smartphone business. However, both sides are reportedly divided over the sale of Apple notebooks and desktops at LG Best Shops. While Apple wants to make its MacBook Laptops available at Best Shops, LG Electronics is refusing [to] accept Apple’s request as it sells its own laptop, Gram.”
As a result of this, the LG stores won’t stock Macs. They also won’t provide any repair or maintenance services for Macs. But, as an LG official noted, “Nothing has been decided yet. We are exploring all possibilities.”
LG started selling its own phones around a decade ago, beginning with the likes of the LG G2, which proved popular. But despite pushing the envelope and innovating, LG failed to make much of a dent over the long run. In April, it announced it would no longer be making its own phones.
LG getting out of a market and then winding up selling their rivals’ products sounds like a pretty decisive victory for Apple. But, ultimately, it could be a win-win for all involved. Apple currently has two stores in South Korea. By getting these mini-stores in 400 more retail outlets, potentially staffed by Apple employees, it could get a big leg-up.
Source: Business Korea
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