Nokia opens first US flagship store

Against a background of techno music, video screens and pulsating lights, shoppers on Saturday checked out the full line of Nokia's products at the opening of the giant mobile phone maker's first US flagship store, Reuters reported.

Some 20 product specialists applauded as people streamed into the chic

According to the report, it is the first of four flagship stores that Finland's Nokia, the world's largest mobile phone maker and the No. 2 US mobile phone maker, plans to open in the North American market, and the second in the world.

Nokia launched its first flagship store in Moscow in December last year, and planned to open 18 stores worldwide in the next two years, the report said.

The move by Nokia into the retail arena is part of a push to showcase its brand, which often has to take a back seat to those of the service providers that sell its phones to consumers, according to the report.