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First MS Retail Stores Will be In Scottsdale, AZ and Mission Viejo, CA
UnknowingFool writes "MS has announced the locations of its first two retail stores. The first one will be located at The Shops in Mission Viejo, CA sometime in the fall. There is an existing Apple store at the location. The second one will be located in Scottsdale Fashion Square in Scottsdale, AZ. That location does not have an Apple store. According to Corporate Communications Director Kim Stocks, the locations were picked because they were 'hot markets,' presumably meaning high traffic. Also, the stores will sell laptops, Zunes, Xbox 360s, MS and 3rd party software. No details on which laptops were provided."
Does anyone know if they have a deal with a hardware manufacturer? Which companies' laptops will they sell?
The Scottsdale loc does have an Apple store; it's shiny, new and enormous. I just bought a mac-mini there a couple days ago.
Hey didn't Gateway open retail stores, right before their final demise? This is't really a bad thing then, is it?
Working at the Microsoft store in a mall where there's an Apple store would be a painful experience.
-jcr
The only title of honor that a tyrant can grant is "Enemy of the State."
...Clippy the Action Figure!
"Also the stores will sell laptops, Zunes, Xbox 360s, MS and 3rd party software."
I would hope that if theres ANY place I could find Microsoft Software, it'd be at a microsoft store. Not that I'd go looking anyways.
Its funny that they would open 2 locations to start, one with an Apple store nearby and one without - I would love to see the stats a month or two in. I'm curious if it'll make a difference.
Hey guys! You know that software vendor, you know, the one that you send really, really REALLY big checks to every weeK? You know, for license fees?
Well guess what? They're taking all that money you are sending them, and using it to build a private chain store in order to cut you out of the equation! Really makes you feelg good about that six-figure WEEKLY check you send them, doesn't it?
This is probably the DUMBEST possible move that MS could make - after 30 years of selling only through 3rd parties, setting up a 'bricks & mortar' chain while trends are to go virtual, while simultaneously pissing off their huge, multi-billion dollar partners... stupidity at its finest!
I have no problem with your religion until you decide it's reason to deprive others of the truth.
these stores arent so bad! now when your XBox red-rings, you can form lasting relationships as you return defective unit after defective unit to the same trusty store employees.
Good people go to bed earlier.
I just got back from the Mission Viejo store. They're serving free beer! At least, they said it was beer, I've never had bright-red, fruit-flavored beer served with ice in a glass pitcher before. Anyway, apart from the cherry-flavored sugary stuff they said was beer, the Microsoft store experience is a well-executed, classy affair that calls to mind the most elegant retailers outside the technology sector, from Nordstrom's to Saks Fifth Avenue to Neiman Marcus. There was free beer, and the tranquil, soothing environment makes you feel like you're the only customer in the store (which I'm sure was just a coincidence in my case) and really puts the crowded, noisy atmosphere in the Apple store to shame.
Clearly, Microsoft, under the forward-looking leadership of CEO Ballmer, has taken a bold yet welcome step into the world of luxury retail. Their new storefront strategy looks like a can't-miss proposition. And the beer, did I mention the beer was really good? And it was free, too, I'm pretty sure I mentioned that. Anyway, I look forward to returning, once I've installed these new copies of Vista Ultimate Edition I just picked up. Thanks, Steve!
Here's pics from two guys who visited a few days ago.
Its yet another club that MS can use against the OEMs.
Don't like what MS demands for the desktop? Oops, I guess we can't sell your laptops in the stores anymore.
Promise to ditch linux? Yeah, we can make space for your wares in the stores.
This isn't good news for vendors no matter how you slice it.
Scottsdale is full of up-tight white people.
Up-tight white people buy BMWs and Macs.
???
Profit!!!
Wait. . .
What?
that's where they belong for the customers they have. As I've said time and time again, Microsoft is the McDonalds of computer technology. It isn't the worst, it is far from the best, but it is what it is and the average Joe/Josey who either doesn't want to do any thinking or can't is fine taking what's shoveled onto their plate. Apple stores work because they are high end and stylish so their stores work fine in various mall's but would not do so well next to Walmart. The Microsoft store isn't going to do anything but weaken their already weakening brand because it doesn't make sense to have a Microsoft store other than another attempt at marketing the brand.
Should be fun to watch this unfold because unlike other Microsoft failures, this failure will not take out the innovator in the market.
LoB
"Anyone who stands out in the middle of a road looks like roadkill to me." --Linus
And so, with that, the might Woosh bird takes flight.
Kool-aid. He drank the Microsoft kool-aid.
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=drink+the+kool-aid
The only good part of the store will be the gaming section with it's X-box 360s hooked up to 50" LCD TVs.
.
The rest of the store will suck.
.
I wonder if they are going to have someone dress up as clippy so that the children can beat them with pinata bats?
Tsukasa: All I really want, is to be left alone...
One of the worst problems with the Gateway stores is that they couldn't fix your computer, they could only ship it to be fixed, even if it just needed a disk swapped. One of the best features of the Apple store is that you can have your hardware fixed relatively quickly. If they're out of the part, you might have to get it the next day.
If MS can't fix any of the hardware they sell on site, even if it's from another vendor, it's going to hurt their reputation and make people hate the stores.
I thought one thing was a bit odd. When I walked up to the store, the front doors were closed. On the door is the following: "By opening this door you agree to abide by our End Shopper License Agreement. Detailed terms of the agreement can be found inside at the back of the store".
#DeleteChrome
an Apple store is not and iPod store. But, given the iPod's fame and market penetration, it would be nuts for Walmart not to sell iPods also but I would doubt they sell as many of the $250+ models as an Apple store but probably sell much more of the ~$100 shuffle and lowend iPods.
My point was about the Apple "store" and in general Apple products tend to be high end and stylish at a higher price. Microsoft, in general is about low end, kinda works, products and so it goes with the Microsoft "store". Sure, Microsoft will show a MS Surface device in every store but come on, is that where you'd go to buy one? It's just a marketing gimmick and so will most of the expensive hardware there. Even the Microsoft ads sell them as the low price company.
They'll do better near Walmart and away from Apple stores. But, they've got the money to dump on yet another money losing venture.
LoB
"Anyone who stands out in the middle of a road looks like roadkill to me." --Linus
How is this the first?
Their first store was in San Francisco at the Metreon in 1997.
It failed miserably.