Originally posted by stormcloud they need it because they want the pieces in place to give pro level support for the 645D being availible outside of japan - thats my guess anyway
By all accounts, all this new "boutique shop" is is a counter at the front of the store. When I read the phrase "Pentax shop" I think of something akin to the Apple Store... not just a counter shared with Leica that MAYBE has a dedicated salesman.
Don't get me wrong... I think any presence in a B&M store is great and hopefully is a sign that intelligence and consumer understanding has finally prevailed at Pentax marketing, but blowing it up and trying to glamourize it by calling it a boutique is disingenuous.
Just get gear back in the stores where people can touch and feel it... make them worth the stores carrying them andconvince the salesmen that they are every bit as good and often much better than any similarly priced competitor.
Mike