During the holiday season of 2001, where it's @, inc. worked with Dell Computer to test the bricks and mortar world of retailing. Two kiosks were tested. Both units were moth-balled in January of 2002 after the holiday season. In the spring of 2002, Dell re-engaged where it's @ for a two-year services agreement to work with the company to expand the test. The scope of the engagement includes site selection, negotiations, operations, logistical support, fixture design, fabrication and deployment as well as working with the company's field personnel to craft the customer experience.

With the Direct Stores, Dell is looking at one more channel to capture those consumers who might otherwise gravitate to the PCs that they can touch and feel. The jury is certainly still out on the Dell Direct Store tests but a recent article in The Wall Street Journal article of Thursday, January 29, 2003, entitled "Dell Plans to Peddle PCs Inside, Sears, Other Large Chains" reported:

"The kiosks have helped the company quickly expand its sales to the home. Dell's world-wide share of home-PC shipments rose to 11% in last year's third quarter from 6.8% when it first began setting up the kiosks, according to market watcher International Data Corp. Dell also says its third-period unit sales to the home jumped 51%."

But with the struggling economy will the program continue?

A reader of where it's @ was kind enough to email me the other day asking what had happened to this column. "I enjoyed reading it" said the correspondent" and your quirky take on the UK retailing scene always brought a wry smile to my face. So will you please start writing it again".

With press like that, and a little more time at my disposal nowadays, it's good to announce that UK Snippets is back for another series of sideways looks, and occasional swipes at retailing in Britain.

Your eyes are not playing funny tricks; you read it right. Successful retailers do not sell. What???