Dell PCs to sell at Bic Camera in Japan

Dell continues adding retail partners, and this week it's Japan's Bic Camera.

Three notebooks (XPS M1330, Inspiron 1520 and Inspiron 6400) and the Inspiron 530s desktop will be available on the shelves of 22 of the giant discount-electronics retailer's Japanese stores in August, the Texas PC maker said Thursday.

It's Dell's first foray into Japan's retail PC market, though the relationship between the PC maker and retailer actually goes back a few years: Since 2000, Dell has stocked kiosks at Bic Camera stores, at which customers could order and have their Dell PC shipped directly to them. This will still be an available option, according to Dell spokesman Bob Kaufman.

This comes on the heels of last week's news that Dell would partner with European mobile services retailer Carphone Warehouse. The company has been expanding its new retail strategy since early June when it announced it would sell some select PC models at Wal-Mart. The move surprised many since it signaled a partial shift away from Dell's direct-to-consumer sales model it's employed since the company's beginnings two decades ago.

Dell won't say what kind of pricing Bic customers will see or how long the retail partnership will last. "It's always about evaluating customer response and feedback," said Kaufman. "We're looking forward to at least starting that process."