Verizon dismisses lack of Droid queues, calls lines "flashy"
updated 03:00 pm EST, Fri November 6, 2009
Verizon wants stready Droid sales instead
The absence of long lines at most Verizon stores for the Motorola Droid is a positive sign, company spokesman David Samberg claimed today. According to the representative, Verizon believes early queues as "not really the goal" and that they are "flashy" more than a sign of actual built-up demand. The carrier would prefer to see a regular flow over coming weeks rather than an initial rush.
The comments are a partial dig at Apple, whose iPhone release lineups are often highlighted in the media. These have in some cases begun days in advance and have included hundreds of customers at flagship stores. However, the lineups have often also been followed by continued strong sales for weeks at a time.
Verizon is partly aided by its distribution to many other retailers, some of whom can offer the Droid for a lower price and offset the need to visit an official store. Apple has a limited number of channels, which involve only its own stores and those at AT&T, Best Buy and Walmart. It also maintains consistent pricing through all channels and so encourages customers to visit the shops with the most stock rather than the best price.
Mac Enthusiast
Joined: May 1999
Yeah, right...
So if "early queues" were not the goal, then why open the stores early or hold midnight events?
Failure.