Samsung has picked up an ex-Apple store designer as part of an ongoing retail push, according to a new report. The Korean tech giant has reportedly picked up former senior Apple store designer Tim Gudgel as it mulls over a deeper investment in US retail.
Gudgel has worked at Apple since 2008, and is mentioned as one of the inventors in a patent application of the glass design of the Upper West Side Apple Store in New York City. He is said to specialize in in-store design and overall retail store planning…
The Information reports:
“Forget the floating Google showrooms. When it comes to retail, Samsung Electronics is contemplating a bigger plunge.
The South Korean company’s U.S. telecom unit recently hired a senior Apple store designer, Tim Gudgel, as it ponders a deeper investment in U.S. retail, according to two people close to the company. Mr. Gudgel specializes in store design and planning.”
This is the second major Apple retail executive Samsung has hired this year. It doesn’t currently have a significant retail presence here in the US, but it did announce a major partnership with Best Buy in April to ‘Experience Shops’ to over 1,400 Best Buy stores.
It’ll be interesting to see how this plays out for Samsung. Apple has seen extraordinary success in the retail space over the past decade, but, as Microsoft has proven, that success is very tough to emulate. I suppose, though, if anyone could do it, it would be Samsung.