Retail giant trials concept in Milton Keynes
Tesco has given computer manufacturer Apple a standalone area in one of its stores. It is the first time that the retailer has provided a dedicated zone to a single non-food brand.

The supermarket is trialling the concept at its Milton Keynes store and will roll the concept out to other Tesco Extra stores nationwide if successful. The 120 sq ft area will not operate as a concession but will stock Apple computers and accessories, as well as smaller items such as iPods.

The products are to be promoted with Apple point-of-sale displays and a Tesco door-drop and poster campaign in the Milton Keynes area.

'We have sold Apple products in our electrical departments before, so this is simply the next step beyond that,' said a Tesco spokeswoman. 'We started with Milton Keynes because it has a large mezzanine floor dedicated to electrical products and it was a logical fit.'

An Apple spokesperson added: 'We are working to expand our relationship with Tesco. There are currently 150 Tesco stores selling iPods and the Milton Keynes store is the first to trial the combination of iPod and computer accessories in a dedicated space.'

Apple announced expansion of its European operations earlier this week, with standalone stores in Germany and Italy.