Inside Microsoft's "Retail Experience"

[Vincent Ferrari]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/13/microsoft-builds-pretend-retail-store-wants-to-play-house-later/' target='_blank'>http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/13/...ay-house-later/</a><br /><br /></div><p><em>"It kinda looks like Circuit City plus a few Surface displays, Microsoft Tags and magical screen-equipped shopping carts (pictured above). Oh, and before you gather up your Zune pals for a road trip: the Experience Center is real, but the customers are fake -- the store isn't open to the public. Video is after the break."</em></p><p><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/at/auto/1231939716.usr18053.jpg" style="border: 1px solid #d2d2bb;" /></p><p>It's a nice looking store, honestly.&nbsp; Maybe this is the future of Microsoft?&nbsp; If you think about it, once Apple started controlling their retail destiny, things picked up.&nbsp; Maybe Microsoft is looking to control their image a bit?&nbsp; Who knows.&nbsp; I wouldn't mind seeing one of these pop up in my neighborhood; it would be interesting to see Microsoft's approach to retail.&nbsp; <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/13/microsoft-builds-pretend-retail-store-wants-to-play-house-later/" target="_blank">Engadget has way more pictures and even a video</a> of this mockup store.</p>

[Spooof]

I find it strange that they would do this; however I would likely shop there if it had a similar experience to the apple store. That said I am not sure that they could pull it off. I am not sure that Microsoft makes a large percentage off of retail and consumer products. I expect that they more more from enterprise deals and as a result how much would they commit to the shopping experience?

Retail/Consumer is apple's bread and butter.

[Pony99CA]

So Microsoft is trying another retail experience (http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/1999/jun99/microsoftsfpr.mspx), eh? See how well the last one did (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/02/24/BUGSVHDITS1.DTL).

I'm sorry, but unless I'm a gamer or Xbox fan, I don't see why I'd go to a Microsoft store. The only other reason might be if they sell stuff cheaper than any other retailer, but they probably won't to avoid ticking their mainstream retailers off.

I can just imagine the "World of Office" exhibit or the "Microsoft Bob Sqaurepants" ride. :rolleyes:

Steve

[doogald]

So Microsoft is trying another retail experience (http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/1999/jun99/microsoftsfpr.mspx), eh? See how well the last one did (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/02/24/BUGSVHDITS1.DTL).

I'm sorry, but unless I'm a gamer or Xbox fan, I don't see why I'd go to a Microsoft store. The only other reason might be if they sell stuff cheaper than any other retailer, but they probably won't to avoid ticking their mainstream retailers off.


Steal from Apple - put the equivalent of a Genius Bar, have training sessions and seminars, have meet and greet sessions for people to schmooze and network. And do it 200% better than Best Buy's Geek Squad does - (i.e., staff it up, allow people to make appointments, have greeters to welcome people, etc.) Let partners come in to give demos, etc.

[Pony99CA]

Steal from Apple - put the equivalent of a Genius Bar, have training sessions and seminars, have meet and greet sessions for people to schmooze and network. And do it 200% better than Best Buy's Geek Squad does - (i.e., staff it up, allow people to make appointments, have greeters to welcome people, etc.) Let partners come in to give demos, etc.
Does that last sentence mean Apple demos and sells non-Apple products from partners? If so, that could be a good reason to go. There are so many more Microsoft partners that you could probably fill up a lot of time.

I'm not sure what the Genius Bar equivalent would be, though. The Nerd Bar? :)

Steve

[Macguy59]

And do it 200% better than Best Buy's Geek Squad does -

That wouldn't be difficult. I've been away from the Windows world for the last 4 years but I still seem to know more about how Vista/XP works with hardware than the so called GS geeks. I'm always amazed at the flat out wrong crap they tell customers (most of which is of course meant to squeeze more money from them)