The Microsoft Store plans to take a bite out of the Big Apple with a flagship store set to open on Manhattan's Fifth Avenue sometime next year.
The store will be located at 677 Fifth Avenue, south of Apple's flagship at 767. Microsoft's move into New York has been part of the company's plan ever since it opened its first retail store in Scottsdale, AZ in 2009, according to a post by David Porter, corporate vice president, worldwide retail stores for Microsoft, on the company's official blog,
"Our Fifth Avenue location will be much more than just a Microsoft Store. In addition to retail, there will be experiential space for Microsoft as a company to further engage with our customers and partners in new and innovative ways," wrote Mr. Porter. "This is an important milestone for Microsoft overall, our stores team and millions of our current customers, as well as the millions to come. We could not be more excited to join one of the most visited streets in America."
Today, Microsoft has 104 retail stores in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico. It plans to open an additional 10 locations in the U.S. and Canada before this year's holiday season. The company has also made a big push with its store-within-a-store concept at some 600 Best Buy locations.
Microsoft's retail operation, as several reports have pointed out, is seen by CEO Satya Nadella as a supporting venture and not part of the company's core business. The decision to expand its retail footprint with a high-priced Manhattan location appears to be a positive sign for the business, particularly in light of the strategic downsizing that has taken place followng Mr. Nadella's appointment to his current post back in February.
- Look out New York City! Microsoft to open flagship retail store on Fifth Avenue - The Official Microsoft Blog
- Microsoft to open flagship store on Manhattan's Fifth Avenue - CNET
- Microsoft Store getting New York Fifth Ave. flagship and 10 more locations - PCWorld
- Microsoft to Open Fifth Avenue Store - The Wall Street Journal (sub. required)