December 29, 2009
Post Christmas High Street Round-up

December 29, Mediacells on the UK High Streets

Apple breaks into Vodafone stores while Samsung disappears from two network store chains

Apple reaches the Vodafone customer base with a 'Coming Soon' message although it's the Samsung H1 which is awarded the 'Everyone you love in one place' message within the Vodafone 360 retail context.

Samsung has made some tough calls this Christmas and apparently decided that Orange and T-Mobile are not the places to be promoted.

Samsung share of voice drops as RIM weighs in with Bold promotions

The Carphone Warehouse sales have started with the Samsung B3410 available for £89.95, which shows a drop of £10 since last week.

The 3G Blackberry Bold 9700 also drops £10 in in price from £40 a month for a minimum of 24 months. The usual new consumer message is writ large on Blackberry communications with Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and, some might say weirdly, Yahoo! Mail.

Samsung steps up promotions in Phones4U

Samsung may be losing share in Carphone but it is stepping up the promotions in Phones4U, doubling its share in just one week.

It's mostly comprised of the Korean company's signature touchscreens but there is the odd slider that creeps into the comms.

Elsewhere there are low-budget Sony Ericsson devices such as the W205 and the ludicrously-priced Alcatel OT-203 at £2.45 (Real Deal £12.45).

The iPhone Cometh … again!

Also, the Samsung M1 is the lifestyle companion which can 'bring your world together’. Both propositions suggest a potential positioning dilemma for Vodafone channel marketeers when the iPhone rocks up in the factory.

Phone gimmicks are the only change in O2 retail landscape

Sony Ericsson voice halves in one week in O2 stores with LG overtaking Samsung on Full Window promotions. It's the new, gimmicky 'Phone Tattoos' proposition which is mixing up the store messages.

Samsung loses out to Apple and Alcatel

Apple triples its promotional presence, in-store, coming second only to Nokia in terms of voice.

Samsung disappears from audibility completely with the Alcatel Touch Mini gaining prominence with the attractive £20 prepay price tag.

Samsung disappears from T-Mobile stores

Samsung has made some tough calls this Christmas and apparently decided that Orange and T-Mobile are not the places to be promoted. Nokia and Sony Ericsson fill the void with the 5130 and C902, respectively.

Elsewhere, the T-Mobile G2 Touch has a monster freestanding floor display which looks more like an extra from the Day of the Triffids than a smartphone promotion.

Refurbished 2009 phones make the grade in Three stores

Nokia rules the waves in Three stores with laptop deals losing presence and making way for products like the refurbished LG KU990 Viewty, Nokia 6700 and the Sony Ericsson C510.

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