News

Kiosks part of Dell's new sales model

January 29, 2003

NEW YORK -- Dell Computer Corp. has entered an agreement with Sears, Roebuck & Co. to sell its PCs in about 10 of the retailer's stores, according to a Wall Street Journal report.

Dell, known for its model of selling computers directly to consumers over the Internet or telephone, launched a trial on Jan. 29 with Sears, opening its first store-within-a-store in Austin, Texas, according to the report.

Dell is also making its mall-based sales kiosks permanent, the Journalreported. Dell started putting online kiosks in shopping malls a year ago in an effort to let customers see and try its products before they purchased them.

Dell customers will be able to pick out their computers at the stores but will then either place their orders online at kiosks or phone in their orders from home, according to theJournal.

According to the Journal, Best Buy Co. and CompUSA, a unit of Grupo Sanborns, turned down Dell's offers to sell its computers in their stores.