Garmin Retail Store in Chicago
Garmin announced today that they will open a Garmin retail store in Chicago. The store will be located on Chicago’s “Magnificent Mile” at 669 N. Michigan Ave. — next door to Niketown and not too far from the Apple Store in a building formerly occupied by Sony. The store will be open just in time for the holiday shopping season.
Garmin will have 15,000 square feet of space to display all of their GPS receivers and equipment across three stories. The new Garmin retail store will feature kiosks and hands on displays. Garmin has referred to their retail store as “GPS Disney World for consumers”.
The first floor will include the automotive GPS receivers while the second floor will display aviation and marine products. The recreational, handheld, and fitness products will be displayed throughout the store. The third floor will be used for inventory and other administrative uses.
Similar to the vast seminars Apple offers in their stores, the Garmin retail stores will also feature seminars for customers as well as training for Garmin retail employees.
“This new Garmin presence on Michigan Avenue will allow us to promote our brand and our products in an entirely new way. We want to use this location as a destination to excite and energize our customers, generate buzz, and further propel sales among all of our retailers,” said Dr. Min Kao, Garmin’s chairman and CEO. “Whether you’re searching for an address across town, traveling overseas on business, hiking in the woods, or running a marathon, GPS devices have become a ‘must-have’ because they improve people’s everyday lives.”
