Dell’s retail strategy; branded stores in India?

Ok Michael… please make up your mind? Do you have a Dell-branded retail strategy or not?

Reason we ask is that, you had a successful “Dell Direct Store” (DDS) strategy in place for many years (2002-2006?). Word on the street was that they weren’t the most profitable, but with your inability at the time to touch and feel a Dell system before ordering ‘direct’, they provided a touch point with the US consumer that you failed to recognize.

Then you went into ‘retail’ with ‘select’ partners. OK, that’s good, but when we go to the stores, we still only see select products that are cherry picked by your retail partners.

Now it seems that at least in India you’ve gone back to opening branded, high expense stores that “demonstrates how today’s young-connected generation, students, families, serious multimedia users and gamers can integrate Dell’s broad range of consumer products into their lifestyle”.

The company has taken significant steps to reduce its expenses through eliminating jobs and factory production, are you going to introduce more expense into your global consumer business through new retail outlets?