Helio opens retail ‘boutique’

[admin_mvu]

By Kelly Hill
Nov 21, 2006

LOS ANGELES—Mobile virtual network operator Helio L.L.C. opened its first branded retail store in Santa Monica, Calif., touting the new location in the Third Street Promenade as a unique wireless shopping experience. “Helio stores are designed to be unlike anything else in the wireless world,” said Sky Dayton, Helio’s chief executive officer.
According to the company, the stores were “conceived with influences from the hottest nightclubs and boutiques around the world” and are centered around a main lounge where customers can test out Helio devices and watch programming on a 60-inch plasma TV. Instead of the typical “rows of drone phone displays,” Helio has “pods” where staff members can walk customers through Helio’s offering. The store also will have a “Q&A Bar” where customers “can have their device freshened up with a ‘spa treatment,’ troubleshoot or get tips on new Helio services,” according to the MVNO.
The company describes its store designs as “a media-centric space offset by sumptuous materials and high-end finishes, such as dark wood, mesh curtains, and concrete floors,” with “translucent illuminated ceilings and lower lighting throughout the space promote optimal viewing of Helio devices and the numerous flat screens.”
The stores also will host events such as workshops, tutorials, art shows and musical performances. The Santa Monica store will open with an exhibit of original art from “emerging and underground artists,” and customers can purchase the pieces or download digital versions as wallpaper for their Helio devices.
“At Helio Stores, we’re breaking the stale mobile store mold with a unique approach and a place that’s different, inviting and all about lifestyle,” said Ali Zanjani, Helio’s executive vice president of sales and distribution.
Helio plans to open four more retail stores by early next year, in San Diego and Palo Alto, Calif.; Denver; and New York. The company also plans to expand its retail locations in the future.
“Quickly and selectively building the right distribution has been one of the keys to Helio’s success,” said Zanjani. “With Helio Stores, we’re aiming to take the Helio brand and our members’ experience to new heights and set a new retail benchmark the wireless market has yet to see.”