Sam’s Club Tests Geeks, Wal-Mart enlists Dell

Sam’s Club, the wholesale division of Wal-Mart Stores Inc., is on Saturday launching a pilot program to offer computer support services to the retailer’s members in some Maryland and Virginia stores. Geeks on Call America Inc., a computer repair company, said on Wednesday that the Bentonville-based retailer had enlisted the company to provide its services at 20 Sam’s Club stores for a three-month test. The announcement comes on the heels of Wal-Mart’s announcement that it was working on a similar technology services pilot at 15 Dallas-area stores, offering Dell-branded “Solution Stations” for consultation, home theater installation and computer repair. The Sam’s Club pilot won’t operate in-store like the Dell kiosks. A sticker slapped on computers sold through the member wholesaler will advertise the Geeks on Call phone... [read full story]