Staff at major UK retail shops are more likely to recommend a Samsung smartphone or tablet than an Apple device, according to a small survey carried out in London by Informa Telecoms & Media.
A mystery shopper who visited Carphone Warehouse, EE, John Lewis, Maplin, O2, PC World, Phones 4U and 3 on Oxford Street in London found that Apple and Samsung were the most promoted brands while Huawei, LG, Motorola, RIM and ZTE had little high-street presence.
The survey noted that Samsung and Apple were also more likely to be recommended by sales assistants.
Julian Jest, research analyst at Informa Telecoms & Media, said “The mystery shop showed that the most recommended Samsung handsets were the Galaxy SIII and the Galaxy Note II, despite having been on the market longer than the latest handsets from Apple, Nokia and HTC. However, most surprising was the way that, despite an in-store advertising campaign and recent product launch, Apple was recommended in only two stores, 3 and Phones 4U, with both recommending the iPhone 5.”
A similar survey conducted last summer in California found Samsung and HTC were the most obviously promoted brands and Samsung devices were recommended more than their rivals.