How do stores sell competing products like cell phones?

[Duende]

How can a place sell both AT&T and Sprint Verizon and basically every provider under one roof, with carrier plans, when they are all competitors? Does the business just register with each carrier to sell their plans and phones or what? They don't care if you sell the competing brands?

I know weird or stupid question, at 3am, haha.

 

[Defknotzero]

Are you talking about those little booths at malls that have pretty much every carrier under the sun?

Have no clue but I would rather go to the actual store than one of those. Just my .02

 

[03 TOPLESSSVT]

They are just lke insurance agents. Some represent only 1 line (alstate) and some are independent agents and sell several brands. They are re-sellers and you can ussually get a better deal from them because they will settle for a lower profit than the Robots that work for say Verizon.

 

[Duende]

For sure.. Just didn't know a place could be an authorized, say, AT&T seller and...x amount of competitors in same store. Like radio shack or best buy I guess

 

[Duende]

Gotcha.

 

[Camaro_94]

Ever go to a car dealership before? Some of them have different car companies under the same roof. We have a pontiac/honda dealership here. Honda and GM dont care as long as theyre selling cars...

 

[VirtualSVT]

Carriers have limits on who they'll allow in the stores with them.

Like only a certain number of GSM competitors or CDMA competitors.

They carriers know its a numbers game and indirect is the 3rd cheapest way to start a new line or service.

 

[Duende]

Okay that's what I'm curious about specifically, Virtual. Would you know where I would go to learn more about that, what each carriers limitations are in this context?

 

[TripleBlack]

It's the same thing like when you are at the store and you see corn flakes but also see toasted corn wafers or corn crisps or safeway select toasted corn. They are all competing products but the store makes money either way.

 

[VirtualSVT]

Okay that's what I'm curious about specifically, Virtual. Would you know where I would go to learn more about that, what each carriers limitations are in this context?

In what kind of situation? Radioshack style or a complete stand alone?

Big box retailers get away with more because the carriers see the chance at a higher volume and a higher chance of snagging a casual shopper.

In a stand alone privately owned its different. Now a days newer retailers must choose one carrier and only carry them.

The older guys can do multiples for now.

If they sell AT&T they probably can't sell Tmobile but can sell Verizon and Sprint.

If they sell Verizon they probably can't sell Sprint but can sell AT&T and Tmobile.

Carriers want to be the only one of a certain technology in the store.

 

[pho_phizzat]

the same reason they sell both Coke and Pepsi,
you dont see walmart being coke only or pepsi only do you???