The first Microsoft retail store opened up in Scottsdale, Arizona yesterday, with the company hoping to outshine the trendy, extremely popular Apple store.
Apple sells its computers, iPods and iPhones, along with related accessories for Apple products, but the Microsoft store has numerous products from other manufacturers available. For example, the Scottsdale location has Dell computers, LG telephones, Panasonic televisions, and similar products from companies other than Microsoft.
Reports indicate that each product available in the Microsoft store runs Windows 7, or some other Microsoft product.
Aside from selling products and making money, Microsoft hopes the retail stores will help the company better interact with its customers. Similar to Apple stores, Microsoft has light wood floors, a clean, open store that encourages customers to browse around. The Microsoft stores also have a section designed for customer support, similar to the Apple Genius Bar.
Microsoft plans to open its Mission Viejo, Calif., store next week. Additional retail locations could be opened in the future, depending on the success of Microsoft's first two pilot stores.
Prior to the Scottsdale location opening, dozens of people waited hours outside in the parking lot before the store opened. More than 100 people were waiting outside at the mall at 6:00 a.m., and within hours of the store opening, at least 1,500 to 2,000 people visited the store.
I'm interested to see how the company promotes its stores, hoping to attract new customers. Microsoft is still a dominant software retailer, but has severely lacked direct interaction with its customers.
