Microsoft looking to open retail outlet near flagship 5th Ave. Apple Store

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Comments

  • Reply 41 of 68
    waybacmacwaybacmac Posts: 309member

    New York City, and Manhattan specifically, is generally considered to be the financial and business center of the world.

     

    Apple first opened a permanent store in Manhattan in 2002. It now has five stores there.

     

    Microsoft, the premier software and cloud services provider to the enterprise, has 102 stores – none in Manhattan.

     

    'Nuff said…

  • Reply 42 of 68
    singularitysingularity Posts: 1,328member
    apple ][ wrote: »
    <div class="quote-container" data-huddler-embed="/t/181722/microsoft-looking-to-open-retail-outlet-near-flagship-5th-ave-apple-store#post_2575355" data-huddler-embed-placeholder="false">Quote:<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by <strong>singularity</strong> <a href="/t/181722/microsoft-looking-to-open-retail-outlet-near-flagship-5th-ave-apple-store#post_2575355"><img alt="View Post" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" /></a><br /><br />Sounds like you'd be a perfect customet</div></div><p> </p><p>And you sound like a butthurt present owner.<img alt=":err:" src="http://forums-files.appleinsider.com/images/smilies/1bugeye.gif" /></p><p> </p><p>You should have read my correct assessment of this tablet on this forum a few years ago, when I declared it a flop as soon as it was announced. And what a flop it has been.<img alt=":lol:" src="http://forums-files.appleinsider.com/images/smilies//lol.gif" /></p><p> </p><p>This is from yesterday:<img alt=":D" src="http://forums-files.appleinsider.com/images/smilies/1biggrin.gif" /></p><p> </p><p>Microsoft Surface Losses Total $676M USD for FY2014; - See more at: http://www.dailytech.com/Microsoft+Surface+Losses+Total+676M+USD+for+FY2014+Will+Launch+in+25+Additional+Markets/article36351.htm#sthash.pdlKZP4A.dpuf</p>
    I did read your assessment and others about the surface (for
    ms it's a product they should have had in the marketplace years ago but as it was left far too late they missed the boat big style. A classic case of too little too late and they are reaping the "rewards" because of it.)

    I'm not butthurt as you so eloquently put it as I do not own one. I see no use for me to have one.
    Your combative and insulting style of posting detracts from the geniune nuggets of interest you write. Which is a shame imho
  • Reply 43 of 68
    fred1fred1 Posts: 1,112member
    apple ][ wrote: »
    I don't know the exact design details behind that store, but Steve Jobs had to have been very much involved, wasn't he? Of course there is a professional architect behind the store, but what about the overall concept and idea?

    I remember reading that Steve Jobs even paid for the glass out of his own pocket, so it was obviously a very special store to him.

    I'm sure Steve gave a lot of input. Clients always do, but to say that "Steve designed it" is to ignore the fact that a very talented architect was responsible for the design and realization. And I wouldn't doubt that Bohlin, the architect, had to deal with a lot of reality distortion field issues from Steve.

    That's neat that Steve paid for the glass, but of course that's a whole different topic.
  • Reply 44 of 68

    The Portland Oregon windows store downtown is always a ghost town when I go by it. The giant block sized Apple store in pioneer square is always jammed full.

     

    MS stop trying to be Apple. You lost.

  • Reply 45 of 68
    MarvinMarvin Posts: 15,309moderator
    Are Microsoft retail stores doing that well so that they'd have to open another one?

    They need more room to hold their unsold inventory before they write it off again. It's all about cupboard space.
  • Reply 46 of 68
    ronmgronmg Posts: 163member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by jfanning View Post





    To be fair those articles stating there is no one in the MS stores are usually published on sites like AI, not exactly known for correctly story telling when it comes to MS. Maybe you should widen the number of sites you visit to get a more rounded view of the truth, as you first statement is incorrect.

     

    Sorry dude, but forget about websites for a rounded view, a lot of us know from personal experience.  In Indianapolis, there was a MS kiosk in the Keystone Mall down from the Apple store.  I have been in the mall at least a dozen times over the past few years, and the Apple store was ALWAYS packed and the kiosk had literally no visitors for at least 80% of the time.  Just two guys in matching shirts (sort of like Genius shirts...) standing there BSing with each other.  Several times I proudly walked by whistling and swinging my Apple bag containing my purchases.  I really felt sorry for them having no one to talk to most of the time.  The 20% of the time there were one or two visitors at the most, and they were just passing by the kiosk and paused to take a look, and the employees were all over them.  Sad.  Then, they opened their store - and the grand opening was awesome.  I was there with my family and they were giving out free stuff like sunglasses, and they had a huge touch-screen outside the store where my girls played that fruit ninja game.  A few weeks later?  a fraction of the visitors in the MS store compared to the Apple store.  This is all true, as is the other first-hand experiences stated in this article.  There just isn't a reason for MS stores other than to say they are competing in the 'same space' as Apple, as Ballmer once said.  If I wanted to buy Windows or Office, I will go to the web.  If I wanted to see an X-Box in action, I would go to Best Buy.  Microsoft accessories?!?!?  Um, no thanks.  MS Phone and Surface Tablets?  Um, too little, too late.  Why is MS wasting the money?!?!?

  • Reply 47 of 68
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member
    jfanning wrote: »
    To be fair those articles stating there is no one in the MS stores are usually published on sites like AI, not exactly known for correctly story telling when it comes to MS. Maybe you should widen the number of sites you visit to get a more rounded view of the truth, as you first statement is incorrect.

    To be fair, the majority of regular posters / readers here don't go to sites of products / companies they don't like and do nothing but post comments to support their own biases against the flow of the threads, but you do. They probably have better things to do than troll.
  • Reply 48 of 68

    Only a few blocks away?!?  WOAH!!!  That's like....territory infringement or something.  The Apple Crips are not going to like that!

  • Reply 49 of 68
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member
    freshmaker wrote: »
    Only a few blocks away?!?  WOAH!!!  That's like....territory infringement or something.  The Apple Crips are not going to like that!

    Got your Apple tat? :D
  • Reply 50 of 68
    robin huberrobin huber Posts: 3,949member
    Hmmm... I thought that Nadella was changing course at Microsoft!?

    Me too. I thought hardware was being de-emphasized. Maybe they should just re-brand them as X-box Stores.
  • Reply 51 of 68
    mstonemstone Posts: 11,510member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by waybacmac View Post

     

    New York City, and Manhattan specifically, is generally considered to be the financial and business center of the world.

     

    Apple first opened a permanent store in Manhattan in 2002. It now has five stores there.

     

    Microsoft, the premier software and cloud services provider to the enterprise, has 102 stores – none in Manhattan.

     

    'Nuff said…


    Sure but does anyone shop for cloud services at a physical store? Does a CPA stop by to purchase an upgrade to MS Money? Do enterprise IT guys drop into the MS Store for a corporate license of Office, or a boxed version of SQL Server? Nope.

     

    I stopped in to the MS Store at South Coast Plaza during a trip to the Apple Store at the same mall. There were lots of people there at Microsoft but no one was buying anything. Mostly nerds playing on the real Surface table and a bunch of kids playing a bowling game on Xbox. That was about it. They had laptops and phones on display but I didn't see anyone walking out with MS shopping bags like you see Apple shopping bags leaving the Apple store.

  • Reply 52 of 68
    zoetmbzoetmb Posts: 2,654member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by waybacmac View Post

     

    New York City, and Manhattan specifically, is generally considered to be the financial and business center of the world.

     

    Apple first opened a permanent store in Manhattan in 2002. It now has five stores there.

     

    Microsoft, the premier software and cloud services provider to the enterprise, has 102 stores – none in Manhattan.

     

    'Nuff said…


     

    As the article states, Microsoft did have a pop-up store in Times Square for a short time.   I visited that store and was surprised at how bad it looked and felt as compared to an Apple store and I'm someone who has stated that I don't see the big deal about Apple stores - it's just equipment sitting on top of parsons tables with glass images on the walls.     But in comparison, the Microsoft store seemed like a 99 cent store - it seemed cheap and as if it was created for a small company.    And of course the products they were showing, which were the early versions of the Surface, were horrible.    

     

    Of course the Microsoft store was serving a different purpose - they weren't selling anything in the store.   

     

    I do feel like Microsoft is saying, "well Apple is on Fifth Avenue, we need to be on Fifth Avenue".     But Microsoft is going to lose a lot of money there, especially if they're on street level, because rents there are at least $500 a square foot and may be $thousands per square foot.  Most of the stores on Fifth Avenue (or on upper Madison Avenue) consider the exercise to be a  marketing exercise.   Apple is an exception because their stores are reputed to generate the highest sales per square foot in the retail industry.     (But it is time for Apple to open some stores in the outer boroughs and not rely upon Best Buy for those areas.)  

     

    Apple pays less because the store is underground and because they got a deal because it was hard to lease the space.   

  • Reply 53 of 68
    jungmarkjungmark Posts: 6,926member
    connie wrote: »
    Apple invented the retail store. I cannot believe these copycat companies that also open retail stores. Why don't they invent something new.

    I'll bite. No where did anyone said Apple invented retail. However MS can't pick its own location and must follow Apple.

    jfanning wrote: »
    To be fair those articles stating there is no one in the MS stores are usually published on sites like AI, not exactly known for correctly story telling when it comes to MS. Maybe you should widen the number of sites you visit to get a more rounded view of the truth, as you first statement is incorrect.

    I've been near a couple MS stores and always the employees outnumber the visitors. I've seen a MS kiosk and did see a couple dudes playing with the xbox.
  • Reply 54 of 68
    Microsoft, Google and Samsung are Apples biggest followers!
  • Reply 55 of 68
    mj webmj web Posts: 918member

    What will Microsoft sell, copycats? On second thought, 5th Avenue could use a good pet shop. 

  • Reply 56 of 68
    moreckmoreck Posts: 187member
    That'll be a really great forum to show how well Surface tablets collect dust.
  • Reply 57 of 68
    jfanningjfanning Posts: 3,398member
    To be fair, the majority of regular posters / readers here don't go to sites of products / companies they don't like and do nothing but post comments to support their own biases against the flow of the threads, but you do. They probably have better things to do than troll.

    Wow, the old AI troll card didn't take long to get played.

    So i forget what the current rule is, are you only allowed on this site if you own 100% apple products?
  • Reply 58 of 68
    jfanningjfanning Posts: 3,398member
    jungmark wrote: »
    I've been near a couple MS stores and always the employees outnumber the visitors. I've seen a MS kiosk and did see a couple dudes playing with the xbox.

    I've been to Apple stores which virtually no one in them as well, what is your point?
  • Reply 59 of 68
    rkevwillrkevwill Posts: 224member
    Well, our local Apple store generally is packed, on slow days. The Much larger Microsoft store generally has 2-3 customers in the store at most. And, its expensive rent in that high level mall. I imagine thats gonna be similar in NYC.
  • Reply 60 of 68
    badmonkbadmonk Posts: 1,285member
    it will be a loss-leader for MSFT but less so than building a Google Barge (& destroying it in the dead of night).
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