HP’sTouchPadalsodidn’thavetheappspresenceorastore, comparabletoiTunes, thatisnecessarytodriveconsumerinterest. Atlaunch, HPboastedsome 300 appswouldbeavailablefortheTouchPad, comparedwiththeroughly 90,000 thatwereavailabletoApple’siPad.
- HPTouchPadisacasualtyofiPad’spopularity, USAToday.com, August 19, 2011.
3. Morethan 1,000 jobsareunderthreatafterretailerCarphoneWarehouseannounceditwaspullingtheplugonitsBestBuystoresintheUK.
Thecompanyhaslaunchedaconsultationaboutclosingthe 11 shopsasitshiftsitsfocustosellingmoreelectronicsgoodsthroughitsCarphoneWarehouseoutlets.
Carphonehopestofindthe “largemajority” ofthe 1,100 staffroleselsewherewithintheorganisation.
BestBuyUKoperatestheso-called “bigbox” storesacrossthesoutheastandMidlands, whichwerelaunchedtogreatfanfarein 2009, andwereintendedtoshakeuptheelectronicsmarketwithcheaperpricesandbettercustomerservice.
Butconsumerelectronicshasbeenoneofthehardest-hitsectorsduringthedownturnasthesqueezeonhouseholdincomeshasseenshoppersturntheirbacksonperceivedluxuryitems.
Thecompanysaidthemarkethadsufferedasaresultoftheeconomicdownturn, onlinecompetitionandthegrowthofnewproducts, suchassmartphonesandtabletcomputers.
- JobsatriskasCarphoneWarehousewithdrawsfromBestBuystores, Guardian.co.uk, November 7, 2011.