ROUND ROCK, Texas – Computer maker Dell Inc. will close its 140 Dell Direct Store kiosks nationwide, including the one on the third floor of Providence Place mall, as the company again revises its business model.
Before the kiosks were launched, in 2002, the company had relied on telephone and Internet sales.
The kiosks “enabled customers to touch and feel Dell products before purchasing systems direct from the company,” Dell said in a statement. The phone and the Internet still account for the majority of the company’s sales.
But now, the company is looking to move beyond the direct-sales model. Over the past six months, it has adopted a new strategy that will allow consumers to purchase Dell laptop and desktop computers in more than 10,000 retail outlets worldwide.
“Moving into retail is a prime example of Dell listening to its customers,” Tony Weiss, vice president for Dell’s Global Consumer business, said in a statement this week.
“Ever since we began our journey into retail, we wanted to give customers the opportunity to call, click or visit Dell and have access to our award-winning products. This move fits in with how our broad global retail strategy is evolving.”
Dell Direct kiosks outside the United States are not expected to close.
Dell Inc. (Nasdaq: DELL) is a global systems and services company and No. 34 on the Fortune 500. For more information, including retail locations, visit .
