Garmin opens first UK retail outlet in Southampton’s Westquay
Garmin has made a strategic move by opening its first UK retail store in the heart of Southampton’s Westquay Shopping Centre. The new 1,500-square-foot location provides customers with a hands-on opportunity to engage with Garmin’s diverse product range, including smartwatches, hiking GPS units, marine, and automotive devices.
Now you’d think the company would have chosen London as its first UK location. But the choice of Southampton, instead, does make sense when you take a closer look.
The city holds a special significance for the company, as it has maintained its European headquarters in nearby Romsey for over three decades. According to Jon Oliver, Managing Director of Garmin UK & Ireland, the decision to establish a physical presence in Westquay was driven by the shopping center’s high foot traffic and proximity to Garmin’s local roots.
Garmin’s retail store aims to strengthen its connection with the community. The company plans to host various events and activities to engage with its customers and partners. This aligns with Garmin’s long-standing involvement in local events, such as the Garmin Ride Out with Action Medical Research, the New Forest Marathon, and the Southampton Boat Show.
Few retail locations
The company has historically prioritized building its brand through partnerships with third-party retailers and e-commerce platforms, rather than investing heavily in a sprawling network of company-owned stores. This strategy has allowed Garmin to maintain a lean operational footprint and focus its resources on product development and distribution channels. This is a totally different strategy from Apple, which by contrast, has aggressively expanded its branded retail presence to provide more immersive shopping experiences for customers.
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You’ll probably be surprised to learn that Garmin has only one store in the United States – located in Florida. And it has no stores in Canada or Australia. Compared to Apple’s hundreds of global retail locations, Garmin’s physical retail footprint is minuscule.
The company will probably retain this cautious approach to brick-and-mortar stores going forward, as the low-overhead, partner-focused strategy has proven to be highly profitable. As long as this model continues to generate strong financial results, Garmin seems content to let its products shine through a carefully curated network of retail partners rather than betting heavily on its own retail presence.
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