Skip to main content

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

viva movilNot 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.

Recommended Videos

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?

Trevor Mogg
Contributing Editor
Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…
Save $45 on the Amazfit T-Rex 3 smartwatch during this early Black Friday sale
Amazfit T-Rex 3 smartwatch used while surfing

If you love the great outdoors and big adventures, you already know that you need rugged equipment to keep up. Anything fragile or testy will break down easily when subjected to the elements. Something like a smartwatch, for example, needs to be tough, water-resistant, and ready to take on the world. Allow me to introduce the Amazfit T-Rex 3 smartwatch, built from the ground up figuratively for the outdoors. Able to withstand temperatures from 158 degrees Fahrenheit down to negative 22 degrees Fahrenheit, this beast of a machine will definitely keep up. It's also on sale right now for Black Friday. Normally $280, it's yours for just $235 -- saving you $45. That deal is only good until November 27, however, so don't wait too long if you're interested.
Shop Now
 
Why shop this Black Friday deal on the Amazfit T-Rex 3 smartwatch

If you want a solid, in-depth look at the watch, be sure to check out Andy Boxall's hands-on with the Amazfit T-Rex 3. He agrees it's rough, tough, and capable, and even ditched his Apple Watch for it. He also praises the watch for its intelligent design, solid functionality, and accessible price. Speaking of accessible price, with this Black Friday deal Amazfit is offering the T-Rex 3 smartwatch is more affordable than ever. It shaves $45 off the regular price, bringing it down to a reasonable $235.

Read more
Early Black Friday phone deals 2024: Up to 45% off Motorola, Samsung, Apple and more

If you've been holding off on buying a new phone, then the Black Friday sales period is probably one of the best times of the year to grab yourself something new. While Black Friday is happening on November 29 this year, we're already seeing a lot of great early Black Friday deals on phones, including on some of the best phones on the market. There are many choices out there, which is why we've gone out looking for all the best deals and collected them for you below to help save you a little extra time.
Samsung Galaxy A15 -- $180 $200 10% off

If you don't really need anything fancy and want a great budget option, the Samsung Galaxy A15 offers a lot of value for the reduced $180 price tag. Not only does it get you into the Samsung ecosystem, but you also get a gorgeous 6.5-inch AMOLED Display, 128GB of storage, and 4GB of RAM, so you'll have a pretty smooth overall experience.

Read more
Best early Black Friday deals under $100: Amazon Echo, TVs, headphones and more
The Amazon Echo Pop on a desk.

Update 11/19/24: Black Friday is still over a week away, but you can already start your shopping with the Black Friday deals under $100 that we've gathered here. There's a possibility that these affordable items get even bigger discounts when the sale officially launches, but we won't blame you if you're already tempted by today's prices.

Black Friday will start on November 29, but if you've already got the itch to shop, check out the early Black Friday deals under $100 that we've gathered here. The offers cover smart home devices, laptops, TVs, kitchen gadgets, and so much more, so if you want to start enjoying discounts without blowing your entire budget for the shopping event, take a look at our favorite bargains below.

Read more