The Macy’s Herald Square store has gone digital, devoting an entire section to Samsung smart products. Last year, this section of the store was a Ralph Lauren men’s shop, and this year it is a digital experience center. Featured attractions include VR headsets, a family hub refrigerator with a smart door display, and sectional lounge cubes where shoppers can relax in front of Samsung QLED TVs after holiday shopping. These TVs rely on quantum dot semiconductor particles to produce more heavily saturated and precisely defined primary colors.
The Samsung space at Macy’s allows customers to experience in one location Samsung’s ecosystem of products, which are designed to enhance or simplify daily life. On display are The Frame, a 4K UHD TV that transforms into a gallery-like art display, and the Family Hub smart refrigerator, which includes a screen in the door that enables families to manage their groceries, communicate with each, and play songs and movies.
According to a Samsung representative, the VR headsets have been the most popular product at the Samsung experience area, drawing an estimated 200–300 customers per day to try a 4-D virtual roller-coaster ride that features a Six Flags theme. The Samsung VR experience is visible from the street and has been drawing customers into the store as they watch others enjoying the virtual roller-coaster ride. When we visited, there was a line of shoppers waiting to try the experience. The Samsung Gear VR headsets are offered in a partnership with Oculus.
The Samsung experience area is a temporary setup at Macy’s that will remain open through the 2017 holidays. Depending on its success, the area could become a permanent feature at the store.