Jennifer Lopez targets Latino market with her own Viva Movil cellphone stores

By Trevor Mogg May 23, 2013

Not content with pushing out hit songs, a successful acting career, running a film and TV production company, and launching lines in clothes and perfume, Jennifer Lopez, a woman evidently with more hours in the day than most of us, has announced she’s all set to open 15 cellphone stores in a deal struck between her Viva Movil brand and telecom giant Verizon. The venture is also backed by wireless firm Brightstar and Moorehead Communications, one of Verizon’s largest premium retailers.

The first of the stores will open its doors in New York on June 15, with more to open in Los Angeles and Miami.

So why exactly is JLo hoping to break into the mobile market? Ah, here’s why. According to the singer/actor/entrepreneur/etc, Latinos have a combined purchasing power of $1.2 trillion annually. Presumably she’ll be hoping most of that goes on mobile phones (and JLo-branded accessories) bought at her stores.

“Latinos need a place to go and they need to be catered to because it is such a growing demographic and market and people want to capture that, and they deserve to be catered to,” Lopez said Wednesday at a special event in Las Vegas announcing her new venture.

She added, “As an entrepreneur, empowering the Latino community is at the core of what I choose to have my businesses stand for and exemplify.”

Staff at the stores will be bilingual and trained to provide customers with a “culturally relevant shopping experience.”

Viva Movil’s deal with Verizon means it’ll be an authorized reseller, with identical prices and plans offered to customers. Available handsets will include the iPhone 5 and the Galaxy S4, as well as the latest devices from BlackBerry.

A bilingual website and Facebook app will also form part of the launch, with Lopez appearing on both to offer advice on the best handsets available. Shoppers will also be able to make phone purchases using the website.

The website is already live, and includes a statement from JLo suggesting “you deserve a better shopping experience, from premium stores that are family friendly, to being addressed in the language of your choice.”

So how about it? Do you think Lopez is onto something here with Viva Movil? Or is it a business venture doomed to fail?

Topics

Contributing Editor

Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…

Mobile

Best Samsung Galaxy S22 deals: Save big on unlocked models

The back of the Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22 Plus.

For a couple of years now the Samsung Galaxy S22 has made for some of the best phone deals you can shop. This includes both the Galaxy S22 and its big brother in the lineup, the Samsung Galaxy S22+. These phones have been out for a little while now, and they’re getting more and more difficult to find brand new. We’ve managed to find a few deals available on both the Galaxy S22 and the Galaxy S22+, however, and there are several ways to save on refurbished models out there. We’ve rounded up all of the best Samsung Galaxy S22 deals taking place at a number of different retailers, so read onward for all of the details on how to save.
Samsung Galaxy S22 deals at Samsung

Samsung isn’t currently carrying very many older models of the Samsung Galaxy S phone. You’ll find some newer models like the recently released Samsung Galaxy S24 there, but if you’re looking for something from the S22 model lineup all you’ll find is a Galaxy S22 renewed model. It’s offering some great savings, however, as you can claim it for just $679 with up to $300 in trade-in savings.

Mobile

Best Apple Watch deals: Series 9 and Ultra 2 discounted

Someone wearing an Apple Watch Ultra 2, showing the Modular Ultra watch face.

The Apple Watch has become one of the best smartwatches on the market. And while Apple deals are traditionally somewhat difficult to come by, the Apple Watch has always been a good Apple product to turn to for some savings. That’s certainly the case right now, as some of the best smartwatch deals are on various Apple Watch models, and several models are offering substantial savings. From the Apple Watch Ultra 2 to older Apple Watch models that come in at relatively low prices, we’ve tracked down all of the best Apple Watch deals taking place right now. Read onward and you’ll find plenty of details on how to save, as well as some information on which Apple Watch may best suit your needs.
Best Apple Watch SE deals

The first-generation Apple Watch SE, which was released in 2020, and the second-generation Apple Watch SE, which was rolled out in 2022, are the most affordable ways of getting an Apple Watch. They don't give up too much in order to keep costs low compared to their more expensive peers though. The Apple Watch SE 2, in particular, still provides comprehensive fitness tracking features, a comfortable fit, and excellent software as it can be updated to Apple's latest watchOS 10.

Mobile

Best Samsung tablet deals: Discounted tablets as low as $184

Recent apps view on the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra.

Samsung makes a huge lineup of quality yet affordable tablets, many of them in competition to be among the best tablets, and many more often found among the best tablet deals. With a wide set of prices ranging from budget to premium, a Samsung tablet makes a great investment for almost anyone who enjoys the touchscreen form factor. There are quite a few Samsung tablet deals worth shopping right now, and we’ve done the heavy lifting of tracking down the best. Among them you’ll find discounts on the likes of the budget tablet Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite and the high-end tablet Samsung Galaxy Tab S9. So whichever end of the tablet spectrum you fall on, or if you land anywhere in between, read onward for more details on the best Samsung tablet deals available right now.
Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 -- $184, was $230

If you need a bigger screen, the Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 is another solid budget option. It is 10.5 inches and runs a much better 1920 x 1200 resolution, which also makes it a better option for watching content. It does have a much smaller capacity at 32GB, although you can always expand it with a MicroSD, so it's not a dealbreaker. That said, the 3GB of RAM is very much within the limits of what's going to give you a smoother experience, but it's the sort of compromise you deal with when going for a larger screen at a budget price.