Overland Park is home to the first Verizon Wireless Smart Store in Kansas and now a second one has opened in Wichita’s New Market Square shopping center. The company eventually plans to convert all 1,700 of its retail locations to this new “Smart Store” concept.

I had the chance to take a tour of the store and was astounded by all of the products and services available.

In addition to the smart phones, tablets and wireless plans you would expect to find at a Verizon store, there are several different areas or zones with devices and gadgets all designed to work with your smartphone or tablet.

The technology and gadgets available allow you  to control the thermostat in your home while you are still at the office, track the calories you just burned during your workout, remotely record a favorite television show or get a notification when your plant needs watered and much more!

The different zones include:

• Amplify It – This area includes wireless speakers, headphones and accessories.

• Get Fit – For those looking for health and wellness devices, this area includes devices that will track calories, steps, sleep, heart rates, blood pressure and more!

• Verizon at  Home – This area has everything you need to stay connected including internet service plans, home phone service and more.

• Have Fun – Designed for both big and little kids, here you will find everything from educational and learning devices to remote control helicopters.

• Home and on the Go – Everything you need for your home is here whether you want to monitor the security of you home, record a TV show or need to adjust the thermostat while you are away, there is gadget that does just that.

There is also a workshop zone designed with horseshoe shaped table and chairs and big screen television where guest can learn how to run and operate all of the different products available.

Each zone has interactive stations that tell about each gadget and if you need customer service, you can see if there is a wait time, if any for the next customer service rep.

Speaking of customer service, the Verizon Smart Store is dedicated to making customer satisfaction a priority and instead of the sales staff, standing behind a counter; they are all out on the floor with tablet computers and can handle inquiries and sales from anywhere in the store.

I had a great time touring the store and to my surprise, even found a gift for my nieces 5th birthday, The “Learn to Write Mr. Pencil” from Leapfrog. I can honestly I never expected something like that when I thought of Verizon before!

Overland Park

11868 W. 95th St, Overland Park, KS 66214

Wichita

2441 N. Maize Road, Wichita, Kan. 67205