Samsung takes on N. American retai for the first timel with a Samsung Store at Burnaby's Metropolis in Metrotown, Vancouver-- a retail outlet with a look you will surely find very, very familiar.

The store showcases all familiar Samsung offerings (Galaxy smartphones, tablets, TVs) on large tables, with working examples for customers to test and play with.

Meanwhile employees (in blue Samsung colours) either march around the clean, minimalist 140 square-metre interior or stand one-on-one customer care stations. Yes, it seems someone learnt a lesson (or three) from... well, you can guess from whom, right?

Why Vancouver, though? Apparently Samsung sees the store as a "legacy" of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, where the mobile maker was an official partner.

Samsung is already involved in lawsuits over alleged iDevice imitation. Will Apple now sue Samsung being too "inspired" by its Stores' interior design?

Watch Samsung Store Opening, Metro Vancouver

At 112-114 Oxford Street, London (just round the corner from an Apple Store) Samsung takes a first stab at the retail business-- a shop-within-a-shop inside a Phones 4U store.

The mezzanine are and "large portion of the ground floor" of the store are now Samsung-branded, showing off Android handsets and tablets, AllShare wireless streaming technology and other products.

The shop itself is, unsurprisingly, Apple Store "inspired," with large tables holding a variety of devices and dedicated Samsung-trained staff. The company also plans to start holding product launches and "celebrity personal appearances" at the venue in the future.

Go Samsung and Phones 4U Launch New Store Within a Store

Following the March 1st opening of a new flagship retail location in Amsterdam (at the Hirsch building, Leidseplein), Apple plans to open more European stores-- in London, Turin, and Stockholm.

The latest London Apple store will be in Harrods, and should open sometime around mid-March (between 12-19 March, according to 9to5Mac.com)-- possibly in conjunction with the rumoured iPad 3 UK launch date.

Meanwhile Italian website Macity reports a future Turin Apple Store (in Via Roma) will be "the most important" Apple retail location in the country, on par with the biggest stores in Paris and London. Set to open on September 2012, the Turin location should cover two floors with an area of 1000 square metres (possibly including warehouse and back of store).

According to Macity Apple was trying to open a Milan store at the Galleria-- but lost the auction for the space to Prada.

And finally Apple is looking for Swedish retail staff, with a job listing bearing a number of leadership roles and pompous titles (such as "Expert" and "Genius"). No word is available on the Swedish Apple Store's location (although one can assume Stockholm), but earlier last year the company was rumoured to be planning a store in Norrmalmstorg, Stockholm... in a location now taken over by a Japanese shoe maker.

Go Amsterdam Apple Store

Go Apple Store in London's Harrods (9to5Mac.com)

Go Apple Store Torino (Macity.net)

Go Swedish Apple Job Listing

Apple hires former Dixons CEO John Browett as senior VP of Retail, where he will be heading global Apple retail operations.

He replaces Ron Johnson (creator of the "Genius Bar") and will be reporting directly to Apple CEO Tim Cook. Apple's global retail operations currently consist of 361 stores, with plans to open 40 new stores in 2012 (30 of which outside the US).

Before joining Dixons in 2007 Browett held a number of positions at Tesco, including Tesco.com CEO.

Meanwhile Dixons is replacing Browett with current Group Operations Director Sebastian James, who has been working with the retailer since 2008. Dixons UK & Ireland also gets a new CE with Katie Bickerstaffe, who was previously responsible for the launch of the KNOWHOW service scheme.

Go John Browett Joins Apple as Senior VP of Retail

Go Dixons Board Changes