Dell cans 140 US kiosks

The company said that it would be shutting down the kiosks in order to shift consumer focus to its retail efforts.

The kiosks had long served as the only store-front presence for Dell, which had relied exclusively on a sales model in which consumers made purchases directly from the company.

Potential buyers were able to test-drive Dell's products at the kiosks before deciding whether to order from the company.

However, Dell was forced to reconsider its direct sales model early last year after losing its top position in the global PC market to HP.

Dell embarked on a campaign to revamp its sales operations, bringing founder Michael Dell in to serve as chief executive as the company began a retail push.

Dell struck deals with Wal-Mart in May, Carrefour in November, and Tesco and Best Buy in December, and it appeared that the days of the kiosk were numbered.

"Ever since we began our journey into retail we wanted to give customers the opportunity to call, click or visit Dell and have access to our award-winning products," said Tony Weiss, vice president for Dell's Global Consumer business.

"This move fits in with how our broad global retail strategy is evolving."

Dell will continue to operate kiosks outside the US.