Samsung's Flagship Store in New York Proves Popular

Visitors watch a video on the massive screen at Samsung 837 in New York. /Courtesy of Samsung Electronics

Samsung's flagship store in New York has been proving popular as it has attracted some 150,000 visitors in just four months since its opening in February.

Samsung's response to the Apple Store, Samsung 837 is not a retail store at all but a "digital playground", as the tech giant calls it, where visitors can try Samsung products and experience various special events and exhibitions using smart devices and technology. It is named after its address on Washington Street.

The store features a three-story tall theater screen used to show films and concerts for free, and a gallery called "Social Galaxy", which showcases pictures and messages on social network accounts on 300 computer monitors, tablet PCs and smartphone display surrounding them in a mirror tunnel.

There is also a virtual reality tunnel, a demonstration kitchen equipped with smart home devices and a space where the latest gadgets such as the Gear Fit 2 and Galaxy S7 are displayed.

Staff there only help visitors enjoy the space. Zach Overton, vice president and general manager of the store, said it is not meaningful to simply increase the number of sales shops because customers can now buy anything they want at any time using mobile devices. He called the space a "digital playground" that New Yorkers would want to revisit.

It is now being frequented by over 1,000 people per day during weekdays and 2,000 to 3,000 on weekends.

The location of Samsung 837 is also playing to its advantage. It is in the Meatpacking District, which used to be home to a high number of butcher shops and meat processing factories. But since the 2000s, young artists began to come into the area looking for cheaper housing, and now it is one of the hottest spots in New York, full of galleries and fashion shops. The High Line Park and the Whitney Museum of American Art are also just a three minute walk away.