Samsung yesterday announced the opening of its new flagship store in New York City, describing it as "the flagship of the future", but in a curious twist, one which does not actively sell Samsung products.

Named simply "837" after its address in the popular Meatpacking district, the "living lab and digital playground" is a 55,000 square-foot space that includes a three-story digital screen (made up of 96 Samsung 55-inch TV sets stitched together), a 90-seat theater, a portable demo kitchen, an art gallery, a multimedia studio, and a café. Product shelves however are nowhere to be seen.

Samsung NY flagship store

Samsung 837 in New York's Meatpacking district (Image: Mashable)

According to a Samsung press release, the store sets out to "reimagine the traditional store experience" and provide an opportunity for people to "experience Samsung technology and signature services in an environment that blurs the lines between live and static experiences."

The-Screen-&-Mainstage-at-Samsung-837

The Screen and mainstage (Image: Business Wire)

"It's not about pushing products in people's faces," explained Zach Overton, General Manager of Samsung 837, speaking to Fast Company. Rather, Overton calls it "a fully immersive cultural center, featuring programming which will tap into people's passions such as art, music, entertainment, sports, wellness, culinary, technology and fashion, all powered and enriched by technology."

VR-Tunnel-at-Samsung-837

Visitors wear Samsung's Gear VR in a dedicated VR environment (Image: Business Wire)

Mashable got a sneak preview of the store and describes an area called the Selfie Station, where users are invited to take a photo of themselves with a Samsung smartphone. A few seconds later, that photo is projected onto the huge store screen for everyone to see.

Of particular note is the store's "Black Egg Installation tunnel":

Before you enter the tunnel, you're instructed to enter in your Instagram handle. Then you walk through a tunnel where all of your photos, hashtags and Instagram descriptions are projected against screens that literally cover the entire space. The floor and ceiling are mirrored, giving off a truly sci-fi effect.

The-Living-Room-&-Product-Display-at-Samsung-837

The Living Room and product table (Image: Business Wire)

Despite the company downplaying the retail angle, store staff are available to guide customers through Samsung's online purchasing portal, while in a nod to Apple's Genius Bar concept, on-site technicians are on hand to troubleshoot tech problems.

In the first two weeks of opening, Samsung 837 will be host to exclusive programming including live DJs, Oscar-nominated movie screenings, and a private Oscar viewing party.

Yesterday, Samsung announced the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge, the latest devices in its flagship line of smartphones. The phones will be available on all four major U.S. carriers from March 11, although it's unclear when (or whether) visitors to 837 will have the opportunity to test them out in-store.

Top Rated Comments

iWilliam325 Avatar
120 months ago
So is this Macrumors or Samrumors?
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Col4bin Avatar
120 months ago
Samsung's ridiculously overdone and ultimate self-serving "store" of bufferoonery. What an excessive waste. Apparently it's not enough to sell product by traditional means, so instead, we must stroke and coddle nitwits' whims and egos to push some phones and tablets. Call it experiential selling? I call it a bored company with money to burn. Who cares.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
samcraig Avatar
120 months ago
Already some hate on this thread which is ridiculous. Don't go to the store then if it doesn't appeal to you. Personally, it sounds like a fun experience - regardless of what tech is driving it.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JaySoul Avatar
120 months ago
That looks kinda cool. Reminds me of some experience stores I visited in Tokyo.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Col4bin Avatar
120 months ago
Unless you have actually been there, that's just a knee-jerk reaction.
Sure thing. Douchey and odd like their advertising and overall brand essence. Trying too hard to be natural and cool, but ends up coming across feeling too forced and awkward. That's Samsung.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Col4bin Avatar
120 months ago
There is nothing that approaches in any way, shape or form the sheer over the top douchiness and oddity of the Apple top brass at a keynote.
Nothing.
I'll give you Eddie Cue presenting at a keynote, for sure! Tim and Craig are generally on point, and Phil never looks completely comfortable… but that's neither here nor there. At least when Apple puts itself out there (keynotes, advertising, retail, etc.), the production value and overall brand proposition feels just and natural. Don't really know how else to put it into words. Apple comes across more polished. When Samsung does the same, even with the best production companies and advertising partners, they come off as campy, cheesy, and trying way too hard too be cool.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Just Months Away – Here's What We Know

Friday April 18, 2025 5:16 am PDT by
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...
iphone 17 air dummy unbox therapy

iPhone 17 Air's Extreme Thinness Demoed in New Video

Tuesday April 22, 2025 10:22 am PDT by
Apple plans to release an all-new super thin iPhone this year, debuting it alongside the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max. We've seen pictures of dummy models, cases, and renders with the design, but Lewis Hilsenteger of Unbox Therapy today showed off newer dummy models that give us a better idea of just how thin the "iPhone 17 Air" will be. The iPhone 17 Air is expected to be ...
iphone 17 dummies sonny dickson

iPhone 17 Air Almost as Thin as Its Buttons, New Images Show

Thursday April 24, 2025 2:14 am PDT by
If you missed the video showing dummy models of Apple's all-new super thin iPhone 17 Air that's expected later this year, Sonny Dickson this morning shared some further images of the device in close alignment with the other dummy models in the iPhone 17 lineup, indicating just how thin it is likely to be in comparison. The iPhone 17 Air is expected to be around 5.5mm thick – with a thicker ...
ipad air windows 11 arm

M2 iPad Air Runs Windows 11 ARM via Emulation, Thanks to EU Rules

Tuesday April 22, 2025 5:01 am PDT by
A developer has demonstrated Windows 11 ARM running on an M2 iPad Air using emulation, which has become much easier since the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA) regulations came into effect. As spotted by Windows Latest, NTDev shared an instance of the emulation on social media and posted a video on YouTube (embedded below) demonstrating it in action. The achievement relies on new EU regulatory...
iphone 16 pro models 1

17 Reasons to Wait for the iPhone 17

Thursday April 17, 2025 4:12 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup. If you skipped the iPhone...
iOS 18

iOS 18.5 Includes Only a Few Changes So Far

Monday April 21, 2025 11:00 am PDT by
Apple seeded the third beta of iOS 18.5 to developers today, and so far the software update includes only a few minor changes. The changes are in the Mail and Settings apps. In the Mail app, you can now easily turn off contact photos directly within the app, by tapping on the circle with three dots in the top-right corner. In the Settings app, AppleCare+ coverage information is more...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 13 New Features

Wednesday April 23, 2025 8:31 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...