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190

Sell the XPS and Vostro lines at Staples too...not only Inspiron

190 points posted to Sales Strategies, XPS products by winoffice 12/04/07

I know that Dell began to offer computers for display and sales at Staples recently - GREAT MOVE! But unfortnately, this concerns only Inspiron...I cannot wait to try out some XPS computers at Staples and order them there!

I went to the Staples Web site (http://www.staples.com), clicked at the "Computers and PDAs" link and ended up at http://www.staples.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?&secondlevel..., clicked at the "Dell Computers" link and ended up at http://www.staples.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?&secondlevel....

I was disappointed on discovering that only Inspirons were offered - is it so hard to sell the higher-end XPS and Vostro lines at Staples? Please sell the XPS and Vostro lines as well! XPS systems that I would want to see in Staples stores and on the Staples Web site include but are not limited to the following.

- XPS M1330 notebook
- XPS M1710 notebook
- XPS M1730 notebook
- XPS One desktop (all-in-one)
- XPS 420 mini tower desktop
- XPS 630 mini tower desktop
- XPS 720 tower desktop

Vostro systems that I would want to see in Staples stores and on the Staples Web site include but are not limited to the following.

- Vostro 1400 notebook
- Vostro 1500 notebook
- Vostro 1700 notebook
- Vostro 200 slim tower
- Vostro 200 mini tower
- Vostro 400 mini tower

Also consider the OS on most computers in Staples stores - Windows Vista Home Premium or Basic. However, it would certainly be ironic if Vostro and XPS (which has the most features compared the Inspirons) computers came with Windows Vista Home instead of Ultimate (which has more features than any other Windows Vista edition). Besides, the XPS and Vostro systems that I tried out at Dell Direct Store kiosks had Windows Vista Ultimate, and the offerings at Staples should at least be the same but certainly not less. So please Dell, make the XPS and Vostro systems that will be offered in Staples stores and on the Staples Web site come with Windows Vista Ultimate, not Home Premium/Basic.

sorsha
12/04/07		 I can kind of see why the XPS line isn't sent to smaller locations like Staples; smaller as opposed to lets say "walmart". Reason being that if 50 Inspiron systems are stolen during a midnight robbery, even the most expensive, you're probably out a lot less than if 50 XPS systems of the smallest cost were stolen. It would be safer to have the lower cost systems in the stores than the higher cost; especially for the business since the more expensive computer systems you offer, chances are the bigger target you become.

Just my conspiracy theoring.
pentox
12/04/07		 I have to ask the question though, why do you care so much about which model you can order through staples when you're going through the staples website? Why not just go to the dell website instead?
nsenman
12/04/07		 Good Idea. They only offer the Inspiron 1520 and 1720 in only the Black Color at Staples.
winoffice
12/04/07		 @pentox: The idea is that some people go to a PC reseller (like Staples) rather than a computer manufacturer (like Dell) where one can buy only systems made by the particular manufacturer, so that they have the choice of more than one manufacturer. Dell became one of them in the case of Staples, so this might increase sales. Also, Staples stores may be available in places where Dell Direct Store kiosks may not, so this way more people have the chance to actually TRY OUT the systems rather than just look at pictures, and this might make more people know which system performs at which speed and so on.
winoffice
12/04/07		 sorsha: I am certainly not disputing the possibility of robberies. But if they have XPS computers in Dell Direct Store kiosks (which can just as easily be robbed), why not in Staples stores?
sorsha
12/05/07		 Cause I'd guess it's a lot easier to rob a single store/medium size building in the middle of a night and make out with some hardware than break into a mall. With at least one security guard where the kiosk is likely logded somewhere in the middle and have the stamina to run out with multiple systems (maybe two or three people), by the time you make it back to the door either you'll have the lone security guard staring at you or a few police to boot!

*shrugs* Anything's possible and theorizing the marketing of Dell is a way to pass the time.
pentox
12/05/07		 @winoffice: I understand why it would be different in stores, but he specifically mentioned looking online.
sorsha
12/05/07		 My apologies; they mentioned offering them in stores at least twice in their post.
winoffice
12/05/07		 But then most Staples and other technological-oriented stores are in malls as well...if malls with Dell Direct Stores have security guards, what makes you think that malls with Staples stores do not have them as well? By the way the Staples store nearest to me at the time of writing is in a mall, just like Dell kiosks.
winoffice
12/05/07		 @pentox: I agree that I looked online rather than in a store, but then if Staples offers XPS systems, why do they not mention them on their Web site? If they offer XPS systems only in stores, then they should at least say "In Staples stores only" or something similar on the Web site. But I did not find information about XPS offerings on the Staples Web site, so I drew the conclusion that they are not offered in Staples stores either.
pentox
12/05/07		 winoffice: I could see them doing something like that if they offered XPS systems in stores as well. But when I think about it and the comments that were made earlier. I figure that they might not want to have a live sample in the store, based on chance of selling / product life span / product line lifespan / etc. Like for example if they were to have an XPS One out on display for people to play with, it would be great, but if you think about how many staples there are and how many XPS Ones they would have on display, and then think about how often they would have to clearance it or sell the floor model at discount to keep a current one on display that would get pretty pricey. It would probably be a good move to get people to know about and acknowledge the XPS One, but expensive. And they are probably looking at the amount of sales they figure they would get of people buying an XPS One at the store, and it's probably not going to be worth it to keep stock in the staples store since it's probably a low turnover item in comparison to a 600 dollar inspiron. So what I would do in that case would be to have in store ordering, it's what they have done before in the past, but it doesn't make much sense. So it would end up being something like on the website it would say in store only, you go to the store and you would have to special order it. Seems a bit roundabout. I think for now they are really testing the water before going full blown headfirst into the staples arena.
winoffice
12/08/07		 Exactly citroentech, that is what I am trying to say: Sell the XPS line at Staples too, not only Inspiron!
winoffice
Jan 29		 sorsha: "I can kind of see why the XPS line isn't sent to smaller locations like Staples; smaller as opposed to lets say "walmart"."

How can Staples be "smaller" than Walmart???? Walmart is a general-purpose store and is not limited to office related items like computers (this idea is about computers). But Staples sells specifically office related items. So in terms of office related items, Staples is bigger than Walmart, not smaller, since Walmart, as I noted earlier, is a general-purpose store and is not limited to office related items. But Staples focuses specifically on those items.
 
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