Nokia’s woes continue as it prepares to close UK online store
By Asavin Wattanajantra on 15 Jun 11Embattled smartphone giant Nokia is to close its online store in the UK, another sign that its failure over Symbian and delay in bringing forth a Windows Phone 7 is costing the company.
In a brief statement, Nokia said “We are planning to close our channel structure and focus our resources on key trade customers.”
It joins planned closures of other online Nokia stores around the world, and appears to be a company-wide strategy by the firm. Particularly in the UK it makes sense, as most people generally go straight to the operator or online retailers to purchase a smartphone.
It also indicates a major slide in popularity for Nokia smartphones, with sales hit by the popularity of other competing platforms such as Android and the Apple iOS. Recent efforts such as the Nokia E6 and the N8 haven’t exactly set the world alight.
And of course, Nokia’s decision to combine with Microsoft in using Windows 7 as its main operating system must have had some effect, as Redmond’s marketing muscle may have left Nokia-only websites as somewhat redundant.
Whatever the case, it is a sign of how the mobile landscape is changing, with Apple’s online store going from strength to strength. Nokia may have to look towards Google, which itself shut down its own online store in favour of working with brands like HTC and Samsung to shift Android handsets.
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