Microsoft store to face off against Apple iPhone 4 launch

Posted:
in iPhone edited January 2014
Microsoft is opening its fourth retail store in San Diego's Fashion Valley Mall, not just a few doors down from an Apple Store, but also on June 24, the launch day of iPhone 4.



It's not clear if Microsoft intentionally timed its retail store opening with the launch of iPhone 4, or if the two events were just coincidental. Either way, the fact that Apple and Microsoft will both host major new retail store launches on the same corner of the mall should prove to be an interesting experience.



Microsoft has three other retail stores, all located close to Apple retail outlets. The first was opened 20 minutes away from an Apple Store in Scottsdale Arizona, while two others are located within the same malls, one in Mission Viejo, California and the other in Lone Tree, Colorado.



Microsoft has worked hard to replicate a close facsimile of Apple's retail stores, copying everything from the minimalist design, look and layout of product tables to Apple's Genius Bar concept, right down to employees' primary color uniforms and even their iconic lanyards.



Earlier prototype Microsoft stores were modeled to resemble big box retail, but the company subsequently shifted its focus to mimic Apple's success in small boutique retail.



In addition to closely following Apples retail locations, looks, and experience, Microsoft has also worked to create high profile launch events patterned after those originally initiated by Apple's own retail team. Whether the new store's opening will rival Apple's retail launch of iPhone 4, or be overshadowed by that launch just four doors down, remains to be seen.



Joe Wilcox snapped the following photo in the new San Diego store's location, positioned just opposite an existing Apple Store, and implored readers to show up for Microsoft's store opening.



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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 234
    alangsamalangsam Posts: 12member
    copy copy copy. they cant innovate so they copy (years late). Its a pattern repeated more often of late.
  • Reply 2 of 234
    So this will be the 4th poorly performing store that they open. What are they going to highlight on that day?? There new phones for teenyboppers?? Always late and always short on anything exciting.
  • Reply 3 of 234
    Those poor crazy b@stards.
  • Reply 4 of 234
    askewaskew Posts: 21member
    So what does the Microsoft store sell exactly?
  • Reply 5 of 234
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Askew View Post


    So what does the Microsoft store sell exactly?



    iTunes gift cards are their number one selling item I read.
  • Reply 6 of 234
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Askew View Post


    So what does the Microsoft store sell exactly?



    Pain and misery.
  • Reply 7 of 234
    foo2foo2 Posts: 1,077member
    It's good to be the king... but not without clothes.
  • Reply 8 of 234
    saareksaarek Posts: 1,520member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by macdanboy View Post


    So this will be the 4th poorly performing store that they open. What are they going to highlight on that day?? There new phones for teenyboppers?? Always late and always short on anything exciting.



    Does anyone actually have any sales data to backup the stance that the MS stores aren't making money? If everyone is just assuming this fact we might find out later on that they're doing well.
  • Reply 9 of 234
    marktrekmarktrek Posts: 69member
    Microsoft opened their third retail store in the Park Meadows at Lone Tree, CO, in the Southeast of the Denver metro area.



    The grand opening was at 10AM. I arrived at 10:45 and had no wait. Perhaps because it was a Thursday, I walked right into the store. Located next to Pottery Barn which is in the center of the upper level of the shopping mall (sorry, Retail Resort) across from the food court (sorry, Dining Hall) there is excellent visibility.



    There are no displays by the mall side windows. With wood floors and white walls it is much lighter than the Apple stores current look. The TV screens running the full length of the store along both side walls are very attractive. Scenes include the Grand Canyon, with the North rim on one side of the store and the South rim on the other. But it is very distracting. I noticed that I was not looking at the computers. Another scene had photos of planets, but in typical Microsoft fashion, they were rotating backwards.



    This mall does have an Apple store with slightly less square footage for retail. It is on the South end, lower level, so slightly less traffic, but much more convenient to the parking lot. A little over a year ago Apple closed the store for a day to change the one row of tables to two rows. In retrospect they probably should have committed to a larger location in this major high traffic mall.



    By 2:30, there were more people in the Apple store than the Microsoft location. Later, Microsoft was giving out freshly-baked chocolate-chip cookies and setting up an autograph session with Rob Dyrdek. (I had never heard of him.) You could still just walk in the store, but there was a long line waiting for autographs. Obviously just opening a store is not enough to attract people to a new Microsoft location.



    As the Apple retail stores still sell a large portion of computers to switchers, having the Microsoft store in the same mall should help Apple.
  • Reply 10 of 234
    williamlondonwilliamlondon Posts: 1,324member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Askew View Post


    So what does the Microsoft store sell exactly?



    Mediocrity.
  • Reply 11 of 234
    myapplelovemyapplelove Posts: 1,515member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Doctor David View Post


    Those poor crazy b@stards.



    haha, so true.



    It's painfully embarrassing how this company from top (Balmer) down, and in all levels, showcases an unprecedented idiocy.



    They 've finally woken up and decided to go into retail, they are opening their fourth store, and when do they chose to set the launch day for it? Right on the date that the best selling device from apple hits the stores with a by all accounts excellent new model. So people will see folk lining up in apple stores and sweet nobody in the MS store.



    Unbefrigginlievable ineptness.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Marktrek View Post


    Another scene had photos of planets, but in typical Microsoft fashion, they were rotating backwards.



    Priceless!!



    A moving picture speaks more than a thousand words.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by williamlondon View Post


    Mediocrity.



    Very funny!!!
  • Reply 12 of 234
    Let's go laugh at silly Microsoft. What a bunch of anuses. Bing-a-da-Bing



    Wait, didn't Microsoft copy Apple from the beginning? Same old same old.
  • Reply 13 of 234
    The irony of course is that Rob Dyrdek is a HUGE Mac user. If you watch his show, it's all Macs. What a joke and stupid move on the part of the Microsloth!!



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Marktrek View Post


    Microsoft opened their third retail store in the Park Meadows at Lone Tree, CO, in the Southeast of the Denver metro area.



    The grand opening was at 10AM. I arrived at 10:45 and had no wait. Perhaps because it was a Thursday, I walked right into the store. Located next to Pottery Barn which is in the center of the upper level of the shopping mall (sorry, Retail Resort) across from the food court (sorry, Dining Hall) there is excellent visibility.



    There are no displays by the mall side windows. With wood floors and white walls it is much lighter than the Apple stores current look. The TV screens running the full length of the store along both side walls are very attractive. Scenes include the Grand Canyon, with the North rim on one side of the store and the South rim on the other. But it is very distracting. I noticed that I was not looking at the computers. Another scene had photos of planets, but in typical Microsoft fashion, they were rotating backwards.



    This mall does have an Apple store with slightly less square footage for retail. It is on the South end, lower level, so slightly less traffic, but much more convenient to the parking lot. A little over a year ago Apple closed the store for a day to change the one row of tables to two rows. In retrospect they probably should have committed to a larger location in this major high traffic mall.



    By 2:30, there were more people in the Apple store than the Microsoft location. Later, Microsoft was giving out freshly-baked chocolate-chip cookies and setting up an autograph session with Rob Dyrdek. (I had never heard of him.) You could still just walk in the store, but there was a long line waiting for autographs. Obviously just opening a store is not enough to attract people to a new Microsoft location.



    As the Apple retail stores still sell a large portion of computers to switchers, having the Microsoft store in the same mall should help Apple.



  • Reply 14 of 234
    ghostface147ghostface147 Posts: 1,629member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by alangsam View Post


    copy copy copy. they cant innovate so they copy (years late). Its a pattern repeated more often of late.



    They all copy from each other. Some more than others, but hopefully you don't believe that Apple always creates things first. I would say it's fact that Apple takes existing technology and just implements it better. They still copy the initial idea from somewhere.
  • Reply 15 of 234
    crunchcrunch Posts: 180member
    That's one city. What a joke. But even if they had as many stores as Apple around the count...I mean world...why would anyone go there to buy what reportedly will be some kind of "deal" on existing Windows Mobile devices. Windows Phone 7 isn't anywhere near even a beta release.



    I wouldn't go there if they gave away free phones. I wouldn't want to jeopardize my place in the line to the Apple Store.
  • Reply 16 of 234
    sflocalsflocal Posts: 6,092member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post


    Microsoft has worked hard to replicate a close facsimile of Apple's retail stores, copying everything from the minimalist design, look and layout of product tables to Apple's Genius Bar concept, right down to employees' primary color uniforms and even their iconic lanyards.



    "Worked hard"???? Honestly AI, is hitting the "copy" button on the photo-copier really considered hard?



    Epic fail
  • Reply 17 of 234
    retrogustoretrogusto Posts: 1,109member
    Well, they might see a little extra traffic in the mall that day, due to the iPhone release. That early-adopter demographic would be a particularly desirable one, if only Microsoft were early to adopt the latest technologies themselves (or even better, invent them).



    Still, does seem kind of sad that they decided the highest they could aim would be to try to attract some people from Apple's big release.
  • Reply 18 of 234
    The fact that Microsoft hired some of Apple's own retail to build and staff it's stores speaks volumes to how well Apple has implemented their retail strategy. A the same time, it's striking that the talent at Microsoft couldn't think of more creative ways to innovate or change-up the almost carbon copy concept.



    Any word on who the store manager is in CO? If the store team has anything to do with the former Apple SM/GM, don't expect much. While Microsoft hired some talented folks from Apple - he's not at their level.



    If nothing else, you have to admit that launching a Microsoft store on the same day as the iPhone 4 takes balls.
  • Reply 19 of 234
    Hey, Microsoft: good luck with all of the dust, tumbleweeds, and that skeleton dude in cowboy hat & boots playing the harmonica at the door to the saloon.



    Seriously, I don't think they'll be as vacant as Chernobyl, but close!
  • Reply 20 of 234
    chronsterchronster Posts: 1,894member
    I know you all think this is stupid of MS (and partially rightly so) but there are things that they can do in their own store to show off features of Windows 7 that places like Best Buy simply won't do. Has anyone ever gone to Best Buy, tried out a computer, and then realized they had either set something up wrong or one of the advertised features wasn't hooked up? Intel WiDi is a perfect example.



    BTW, if one of these stores is opening at your local mall and you can somehow get both the Apple store and MS store in a single photo, go and take a picture on the iphone 4 launch day. It should be a good laugh.
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