Garmin goes RETAIL in the UK.

Retail Week reports that Garmin has launched its first-ever retail store in the UK, located in the Westquay shopping centre in Southampton. This 1,500 sq ft location is the UK’s first for Garmin, the location presumably influenced by the nearby presence of its European Head Office.

The Southampton store features Garmin’s range of fitness and outdoor products, from watches to cycling computers and other tech designed for sports, wellness, and outdoor exploration. With dedicated sections and interactive displays, the store allows customers to engage directly with products, ask questions, and receive personalized advice—a shift from Garmin’s traditional reliance on online and third-party retailers.

Take Out

This is an unexpected but interesting move by Garmin.

Interestingly, they chose Southampton. Garmin has marine and sporting interests, combined with the proximity of the Head Office and cheap retail space compared to London; maybe that added up to a good test bed for a new Garmin retail adventure. I’m just not sure of the size of the local market. Southampton isn’t THAT big a city.

Companies have dilemmas when releasing new products. New adopters are keen to buy them and pay the full RRP. It’s a profitable time when production runs may only have produced limited stock and when retailers and distributors know they can make the most money for the least risk of being left with unsold stock.

So, this move should increase the sales that Garmin captures from existing retailers without alienating some of the more powerful ones, at least for now. A move to London might be entirely different.

Like Apple, perhaps Garmin has grander plans for tens of retail stores in major global cities.