What comes after Apple? Why, Samsung, of course! Samsung has just announced that the company will be setting up some Samsung-specific shelf space inside of the U.K’s Phones 4U shop. Samsung has already set up these displays in one shop that’s (surprise, surprise!) located just around the corner from an Apple Store. Want more surprises? The displays that Samsung has set up are minimalist, don’t include price tags, are ethereal to look at – oh, heck, it’s just like the Apple Store only Samsung blue instead of Apple white (I know, those are fighting words).

But if you happen to be a Samsung fan, you can head to the U.K store to look at all of Samsung’s top offerings (address: Oxford Street – just look for the Apple Store and walk around the block). You can test out tablets and look at phones while you’re visiting the newly decked-out shop. What’s more, a dedicated and well-trained team of Samsung salespeople will be waiting to answer your every question: I wonder if they’ll walk around with “appointment tablets” too?

Has Samsung Found a Niche Market?

There’s no doubt that Samsung has set out to copy most of what Apple is doing. From phones to tablets to stores and even patent disputes, Samsung is Apple’s little shadow. While the company has gained a lot of criticism for creating products (and now stores) that so closely resemble Apple’s products and stores, it’s interesting to look at this phenomenon from a marketer’s point of view. What does that view look like? Something like a nice, neat, and lucrative niche market.

As it turns out, there’s a market for products that look, act, and feel like Apple products. It could be that consumers who purchase Samsung products like the fact that the Samsung price tag is significantly lower than most of Apple’s price tags. Or it could be the fact that some consumers love what Apple puts out but hate Apple (for reasons unknown and mostly unfounded). Whatever the reason may be, Samsung is cashing in on this market, quite cleverly.

Then Again…

It’s not unusual for a company to open up a retail store – not unusual at all. Companies from Sony to Microsoft have retail stores, so why shouldn’t Samsung follow suit? On the flip side, I’m betting that most people don’t have a problem with the actual store. Instead, those who support Apple might take issue with the theme that Samsung has gone with, the team of Samsung-dedicated people, and the fact that this store is located just down the street from an Apple Store…

In any case, it looks like Samsung is going to give the retail world a shot. Whether tapping into a niche market or just trying to grow brand recognition, Samsung’s decision makes perfect sense. If you happen to live in the U.K, go check out the new Samsung displays and let me know what you think – are these displays too Apple-esque or is Samsung really branching out on its own?