Samsung (005930) may still be waiting to see whether or not a jury will find it guilty of design patent infringement, but the company isn’t doing itself many favors with the public perception that it simply copies everything Apple (AAPL) does. The latest example comes via the Sydney Morning Herald, which took a little trip down to Samsung’s newest flagship outlet in Sydney and found some striking similarities between it and Apple’s retail store just down the street. Of course, this isn’t the first time the striking similarities between Samsung’s new retail shops and Apple Stores have been observed.
The SMH reports that the new Samsung outlet is notable for its “smiling blue shirt-wearing sales staff, a minimalist design and smartphones and tablets that invite customers to pick up and play” and says that “everything from the store layout to the sales staff to the products and even the packaging and promotional material is uncannily Apple-esque.”
During the SHM’s video interview, Samsung Australia telecommunications vice president Tyler McGee said that the store’s design was based on “a layout we use around the world” that presents “an opportunity for consumers to interact, learn and play with our devices.” McGee also denied that Samsung intentionally positioned its store to be near a local Apple Store and said that its rival’s retail outlet “didn’t even come into the equation when looking for a location.”
