Best Buy Canada is giving customers a new way to shop for the latest Google products.
The Vancouver-based retailer has teamed up with Google Canada to bring “Google shops” into 14 of its new “Experience Stores” by the end of the year.
The Experience Stores are part of a larger national renovation plan that began last year and saw improvements made to more than a dozen Best Buy locations.
“We wanted to partner with vendors, Google included, to make our Experience Stores really immersive and exciting for our customers, and allow them to touch and try products before they buy them and learn all about the new tech,” said Christine Tam, manager of external communications at Best Buy Canada.
The Google shops, staffed by “Google guides,” are designed to help users get the most out of their devices. Customers will be able to try out Google products such as the Pixel smartphone (available now) the Daydream View VR headset and Chromecast Ultra (both available later this year). Customers can also book one-on-one appointments with staff and attend workshops to learn about Google tech.
The partnership is the first of its kind in North America, according to Best Buy. Ten small Google shops have begun opening in Best Buy locations across Canada, to be followed by four larger and more interactive shops in Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary and Mississauga later this year.
Beginning next month, the Google shops will be promoted with both consumer-facing and media events, said Tam.
