By Kat Asharya | Thu Aug 26, 2010 12:27 pm |
Target will add mobile phone centers to about 850 of its 1,743 stores by December, with a nationwide rollout expected by the middle of next year.
The Minneapolis, Minn.-based retailer announced Wednesday that it will partner with RadioShack to let people buy and activate mobile phones at their electronics centers.
Beginning as a pilot program in about 100 of its stores last October, Target Mobile is adding several services for its electronics customers, including free telephone technical support for purchases, an electronics recycling and trade-in program and an expanded selection of phones.
Target did not disclose details about which mobile carriers will be available at its retail locations. Its push into the electronics market aims for consumers to think of its stores as a full-service destination for handsets.
"Electronics are getting more complicated and more of us are connected to the Internet and wireless," said Mark Schindele, Target's senior vice president. "Guests want a seamless experience."
Target is aiming to create a customer service experience that begins in stores and follows customers into their homes. The company began testing a toll-free number, 877-myTGTtech, last month for anyone with a receipt from an electronic item at Target.
The addition of expanded mobile phone services to Target come as the electronics business becomes more competitive. Discounters such as Target and Wal-Mart compete with specialized retailers such as Best Buy in a category where consumers see cell phones and other mobile electronics as necessities.
Target is jockeying for a large share of this growing market with the push for expanded mobile phone services in its retail locations.
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