"An experience zone where gamers come in and interact" - Atul Mehta, Senior Director and General Manager at Dell about new Alienware store (exclusive)

Dell recently invited me to the launch of their second gaming store in India, at E-Mall Kolkata, following the launch of their first store in Delhi back in April of this year. While gaming has been growing in India at a rapid pace over the last decade, post-covid, it has more or less shifted from the local community aspect to a more online, form-home aspect.

Dell already has a significant number of stores across India, but what sets it apart from its competitors is its focus on gaming and community building, and that interested me the most at the launch of this store.

The store not only features a high-end Alienware desktop setup for gaming but also a plan set up with five high-end Alienware laptops. Together, they encourage gamers to come together and experience the latest and greatest hardware together, adding to the community aspect.

During the launch event on September 15, I had the opportunity to have a one-on-one conversation with Atul Mehta, Senior Director and General Manager, India Consumer Channel, Dell Technologies.

Sportskeeda's Suryadeepto in conversation with Atul Mehta, Senior Director and General Manager at Dell (Image via Sportskeeda)

The following is an excerpt of the conversation, lightly edited in places for better readability.

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Dell Senior Director and General Manager Atul Mehta discusses the future of Alienware, the importance of retail, and more with Sportskeeda

1) What led to the opening of the second gaming store in Kolkata specifically? Any insights that you’d like to share?

Atul Mehta: First of all, the cultural diversity of the city and the passion of this city are quite high, and when you see E-Mall, that is like the icing on the cake for passion and cultural diversity. This is also the ultimate destination for people to come and buy their electronic gadgets.

So all of that put together is what made us believe that we should go ahead and open our second store after the first one in Delhi. That’s the thought behind setting up a gaming store here.

2) What can your consumers in Kolkata look forward to in the new store?

Atul Mehta: In our minds, this is not just a store. It is an experience zone where gamers can come, interact, meet, and experience our latest and greatest products. That’s how we are looking to build this store. We all know that Alienware is the brand in the gaming space, and our DNA is in the best innovation, having high-performance premium design machines.

We operate on three principles, which are interaction, innovation, and community-building, and I’m sure this store is laser-focused on making that happen.

The LAN setup at the Dell Gaming Store in Kolkata (Image via Sportskeeda)

3) Beyond these stores, what is Dell’s overall retail strategy when it comes to meeting the needs of today’s consumers?

Atul Mehta: See, there are three sets of consumers. There are the true consumers who consume the IP. Then you have the professionals, and finally, the gamers. Today, the PC has become more relevant in the post-covid world. It is not only for work but a lifestyle or entertainment device. Thus, we bring a lot of features and form factors to appeal to all of the consumers.

And as I said, gaming is expanding in the country. Today’s youth, or the millennials, are not only looking at gaming as entertainment but also as a profession, and this kind of experience zone will help them achieve their dreams.

On top of that, it’s not only about great products but also about a great experience and accessibility, where the consumer comes in and buys products from not only the Tier-1 cities but also from Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities. To achieve that, we have over 600 Dell-exclusive stores pan-India, collaborating with other retailers. We are also available on e-tailers like Amazon.

So, all of that, put together, makes Dell’s overall product strategy meet today’s consumer needs.

4) India is a huge and diverse market. How do you ensure that your products are accessible everywhere?

Atul Mehta: As I mentioned, there are different sets of consumers. Moreover, a lot of new cohorts have come up, learning from home, working from home, and consuming entertainment from home besides gaming. We want to make our products accessible to everyone.

We have a strong presence in Tier-1 and Tier-2 cities and are increasing our presence in Tier-3 cities and beyond, whether it be through our 600+ Dell-exclusive stores across 389 cities, being present on our website Dell.com, or on e-tailers like Amazon. We want to be accessible to consumers across all cities and are working toward it.

5) What is Dell doing to strengthen engagement with the gaming community? How has the response been to the 2023 product portfolio?

Atul Mehta: Dell resonates with the latest and most innovative creations. If we talk about our gaming products, the DNA of our Alienware is the best innovation. So we have very, very high-performance machines, focusing on the pro gamer and the enthusiast. Then, you have the premium design with high-quality materials that we use for Alienware. Last but not least, you have the iconic design.

All of that comes together in our product portfolio. As I mentioned, we work on three principles – interaction, innovation, and community-building – to provide the best experience to our consumers and gamers. We understand that it is not only about leisure and entertainment, but it is also about serious career opportunities, and we really want to contribute to that.