Comcast evokes Apple retail strategy with Xfinity stores

Comcast (Nasdaq: CMCSA) opened a new retail store in Houston that some Texas customers are comparing to Apple's (Nasdaq: AAPL) retail stores.

Employees at the new Xfinity Store even use an Apple iPad to greet customers when they walk in the door, and record information about why they are visiting the store. That's similar to the approach Verizon Wireless (NYSE: VZ) uses at its retail stores, asking customers to reserve a place in line by entering information into a touchscreen computer.

The 3,200 square-foot retail store in Houston also features demonstrations of 3DTV programming. It's similar to a retail store that Comcast recently opened in Connecticut.

Comcast spokeswoman Jenni Moyer told FierceCable that the MSO began revamping its retail stores a few years ago in California, when it relocated some of its existing stores into retail shopping centers. She wouldn't say how many other Xfinity stores Comcast will open in other cities. 

Time Warner Cable (NYSE: TWC) has also been building new retail stores in New York and other major markets.

For more:
- CultureMap Houston has this story

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