Microsoft Store is a chain of retail stores and an online shopping site, owned and operated by Microsoft and dealing in computers, computer software and consumer electronics. The stores aim to “improve the PC and Microsoft retail purchase experience for consumers worldwide and help consumers make more informed decisions about their PC and software purchases.”[2]
The Microsoft Store offers Signature PCs and tablets like the Microsoft Surface and from third parties such as HP, Acer, Dell, Lenovo, and Sony without demos or trialware (pre-installed free trials of certain third-party software that expire after a limited time). It also offers Windows (most retail versions), Microsoft Office, mobile devices running the Windows Phone OS, Xbox 360 and Xbox One game consoles, games and services including on-site Xbox diagnostics. The Answers Desk helps to answer questions related to Windows, Office, and other Microsoft products. The stores also offer class sessions as well as individual appointments.
The first two Microsoft Stores opened within a week of the Windows 7 launch, in Scottsdale, Arizona and Mission Viejo, California.[3] Additional stores have since opened in California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, Texas and Washington. At the 2011 Professional Developers Conference, Microsoft announced that they intend to open 75 new stores in the next three years.[4]
The first store outside the U.S. (and the first of four stores in Canada) opened in Toronto on November 16, 2012[5] while the first store outside the North America (and first store in Asia-Pacific and second flagship store [6] ) opened in Sydney, Australia on November 12, 2015 [7]
History
Microsoft’s first experience with a retail store was located in the Metreon in San Francisco. It was owned and operated by Sony Retail Entertainment,[8] and ran from 1999[9] to 2001.[10]
In 2009, Microsoft built a “Retail Experience Center” in their Redmond, WA headquarters[11] and announced plans to build its own retail stores.[12] On October 22, 2009, the same day as the Windows 7 launch, Microsoft opened a retail store in Scottsdale, Arizona. A week later, another opened in Mission Viejo, California. Five additional stores were opened in 2010. A ninth store opened in Atlanta in May 2011, with two more openings planned in Houston and Los Angeles by the end of June.
Shopping experience
The Microsoft Store is similar to the popular Apple Store concept, which has been largely successful.[13] The concept aims to give a greater level of customer satisfaction by not only having sales staff but also employing “Technical Advisers” (similar to Apple’s “Geniuses”) to assist customers with technical questions and issues. In addition “Specialists” (or trainers) are employed to show customers how to get the most out of their software. Xbox One consoles are also available to entertain patrons.
