Image <a href="https://twitter.com/darth/status/497151434924638208" target="_blank">via @darth</a>
Microsoft wants to build a new 8,700 sq. ft. retail store on New York’s Fifth Avenue, just a few blocks away from Apple’s cube, the New York Daily News reported today. The two-story building located at 677 Fifth Avenue is currently vacant, but the Redmond-based software giant wants to setup shop near one of its competitors most iconic locations.
Microsoft has been walking in the shadow of Apple’s retail success for years now. In 2009 the company poached George Blakenship from Cupertino’s retail arm to run its own (weirdly similar) stores. Since then, the Microsoft has been taking advantage of open spaces near a few Apple stores to try to get in on the action.
Earlier this year Microsoft ran a special in its stores encouraging shoppers to trade in a MacBook Air in exchange for a sizeable discount on the Surface Pro 3 tablet. Before that the company was offering free subscriptions of its Office 365 service just for walking into the store with an iPad. If Microsoft really does open its doors just a few blocks away from Apple, the competition between the two could start to heat up.
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I hope they do open there. This will be fun to watch it flop.
indeed lol
Reblogged this on Taste of Apple and commented:
Oh gosh. I can’t begin to imagine how bad of an idea this is. At any mall I’ve been to with an Apple store, half of the time there’s a Microsoft store across or next to it. Usually it is empty, aside from employees – and even then half the employees don’t seem particularly invested in the products there (though that’s not exclusive to Microsoft outlets). If they really want to make a splash, they should first come out with products that focus on their core strengths and have a true value to customers. Then they can worry about opening retail stores.
This is good for consumers. At least the ones who have critical – thinking skills and don’t just run out and buy any garbage with an Apple logo.
You’ve got it reversed. But thanks for playing.
Those who profess to have critical thinking skills do not make their bias so apparent…someone could infer that unless they agree, they would run out and by the “garbage”. Both platforms have there plusses and minuses.
ooooh look everybody, poor hobo that cannot afford an Apple device bashing Apple and calling it garbage! *grabs popcorn*
Apple products are actually so good per se but pretty much garbage RELATIVE to their prices.
There are literally hundreds of other places you can buy non-Apple stuff. Go to any electronics retailer and you’ll see plenty of non-Apple stuff (and some Apple stuff too). There are very few Apple Stores in the grand scheme of things and many big cities and even countries entirely devoid of a single store so it isn’t like they’re the Starbucks of consumer electronics.
There’s a complete lack of Apple Stores in Ireland for example. Kind of ironic given their European headquarters is based in Ireland lol.
As far as I know, the Ireland’s headquarters are there because ‘a controlled from other country’ company just pays 2% on taxes.
Then, maybe, if they have some ‘local business’ (an Apple Store) this could change and the tax will be higher.
But I’m just speculating.
@Luis
It’s where Apple stores the money it earns outside the US, once it has paid taxes in the country where it was earned. Apple pays Irish taxes on the interest earned on investing that money.
And it is still currently legal.
Don’t even have to reason with a braindead troll. The fact that he continues, persistently, to come over to draw ire shows how pathetic he is.
This statement confuses me.
Oh look everyone, 9to5Mac’s resident Apple hating troll comes in to try and take the proverbial dump of anti-Apple hate mongering.
In the words of Tallest Skill, STFU and GTFO.
Moron. Get back to work clearing the cobwebs off the computers at the Microsoft store you work at.
I’m assuming Microsoft Stores are an American thing. I’m from the UK and never seen or even heard of one. Can’t imagine one either…
Imagine an Apple store done up in Microsoft colours but with more employees than customers in the store and you’ll be close.
Last time I went in to an Apple store was to have a DOA iPhone replaced, prior to that was to have an iPad fixed within warranty and the first time I was ever in a store was to have the trackpad on a macbook replaced. So I have been in to an Apple store a grand total of 3 times, and each time due to a faulty Apple product. I don’t know about where you guys are at but the Apple stores are primarily only for repair and replacement of products here in Australia. Retailers that sell Apple products aren’t actually permitted to replace some DOA products they sell and MUST send their disgruntled customers to the Apple store.
So yeah, Apple stores in Australia are busy, but this is due to the fact that the one and only Apple store in the city is the one and only place you can take your Apple product for service or repair.
Perhaps the Microsoft stores would fill up if they came up with the same policy?
I don’t know where they are, but I haven’t seen a Microsoft retail store.
I still don’t see the point of Microsoft Stores. Apple Stores are a think because they had next to no retail presence in an already over saturated market with rows upon rows of generic looking computers. They were lucky to have more than a single model of machine on show, never mind some kind of stand out display like they now get with iPads etc.
There also used to be very few places you could get support for your Apple stuff. Apple Stores changed this too.
Microsoft have non of these problems. Their product is everywhere, apart from Apple Stores (well, they sell Office for Mac in there). It’s not like they can fill the places with their own products either, the vast majority of systems running their software are third party so it’s just yet another big box PC retailer that doesn’t sell Macs (very much like the kind of places Steve Jobs used to walk around which gave him the idea of making their own stores in the first place lol).
Why are the clones so afraid of competition in a capitalist society?
GTFO troll.
Well Edison at least your spelling is good.
Couldnt think of anything more boring than a microsoft store, just think of the Windows section at currys pc world for us UK folks! *Yawn!*
Surprised it isn’t a Samsung store since they are the copycats nowadays.
I wouldn’t exactly call a few blocks away “near”.
Much too little… MUCH too late.
Reblogged this on bainmusic and commented:
Whoa. Just… really? Great article.
For the life of me, I don’t see the competition between them heating up any more than usual. There phone is dying, the Surface Pro 3 isn’t making it and there PC operating system is not winning people over. What have they got to offer? IOS products?
Not all splashes are impressive. Some preceed flushes.
“If Microsoft really does open its doors just a few blocks away from Apple, the competition between the two could start to heat up.”
And pigs might fly out of my butt. Neither are going to happen.
The Apple’s stores began in 2001. By 2014 Microsoft is copying the 2001’s era store, and maybe they will get it by 2020.
With all the people that Apple is contracting, from Angela down, by 2015 Apple’s store will be quite different that today.
And Microsoft will be… like 15 years late to the game!
(Should I remember that the Mac User Interface was ready by January 1984, and the first workable Windows version was Windows 95… 11 years after!)
There are a lot of things that Microsoft wants…
Imitation may be the most sincerest form of flattery but building a store that’s nearly identical to the competition then moving within blocks of said store is nothing short of pathetic, desperate and a clear call for help.
If someone would’ve told me 20 years ago that Apple would be dominating smartphones, tablets, software, accessories and now retail, and that Microsoft would be copying everything Apple does, I’d laugh you out of the room.
You still have to laugh because Android OS / Samsung brand are dominating smartphones, Android OS / Apple brand (small win for Apple here) are dominating tablets, Microsoft are dominating software, Logitech are dominating accessories, don’t know how to interpret your retail claim. And as for Microsoft copying everything Apple does? Last I checked they released two tablets, one that is a fully fledged computer with an OS that is no different to that on laptop/desktop and a second with a scaled back OS that was purposed for web browsing, business tasks and Microsoft Office (that they included for free).
Don’t get me wrong I love some of Apple’s devices and own a few myself but your claims are invalid.
Given that this is a Microsoft article and your claims are that Apple are ahead in the game, I think you need to face the facts that things are going to change significantly in the next year. Microsoft have made some bold moves that are going to shift a huge chuck of the market share of tablets back in their favour (free OS and office on small devices) and the user experience I have on my current Windows Phone more closely mimics the direction I see websites going with their own UI on tablet/mobile devices.
With Apple’s global share of only 11% of smartphones your claims are bold. I’d like to watch this space over the next 12 months, and see just how the Nokia acquisition and the sub $100 tablet with full Windows and free MS Office redefine the space.
” I’d like to watch this space over the next 12 months, and see just how the Nokia acquisition and the sub $100 tablet with full Windows and free MS Office redefine the space.’
Don’t hold your breath. Microsoft doesn’t get it and they never will. It’s just not in their DNA.
I stepped into one of their pop up store about a year ago or so and I asked the salesman why the Surface only had one angle to prop it up? He said they research suggested that the angle was ideal for everyone and give optimal viewing. I said that can’t possibly be true as people’s eye levels vary by the height of their torsos and size of their heads. It show how innovative they are.
Microsoft: “Hey 5th Ave! Someone asked for more ‘spontaneous’ line-dancing?!?!?!”
I’ve seen a a couple Microsoft stores…mostly near an Apple store. they look similar but not nearly as busy.
I am not sure if Microsoft is simply hoping that Apple locations are good and they might attract MS customers or that Apple customers will give MS a try.
It seems more of a “it worked for them” concept. taking a similar approach in retail and in location.
A buddy of mine went to get a Surface on opening day and got a shirt that only the first 100 people would get. I said he must have arrived at the store before they opened to get one…nope, around mid-day, they had plenty of shirts left.
They’re clueless. They should set up Microsoft stores in strip malls, derelict buildings near trailer parks and WalMart shopping centers where their market is thriving. Not where it is shrinking at exponential rates if not entirely gone.
I bet Microsoft is going to make a splash… like a turd dropping into the toilet.
… or an Apple falling from a tree. SPLAT!
The sheep are scared.
@herb: It’s so adorable that you think (or pretend to think) that the Apple users are the sheep, and not those who cling to Windows in spite of, well, the last 10 years basically.
I find this whole sad effort by Microsoft to mimic and copy Apple so so so pathetic and lame. Can they not come up with anything original themselves ? Don;t they have an original innovative person in their bloated company ?
They are taking a page from Apple.
Apple copying Samsung, that is.
Scared sheep.
You forgot to put “fanboi” in there somewhere.
Oh Microsoft! Can you get any more pathetic and desperate. It’s a sad thing you feel a need to copy rather than innovate. Please go away. NOW!
Scared. Aren’t you?
You must be a very young naive dude, or completely BLIND to what we are all seeing and replying to. I will give you dibs on one thing. Copying is the best form of flattery, but what is it without great minds and innovation. Great.. build it…. who is going to maintain the level of competition after that? Its like Home Depot and Lowes… Wherever Home Depot goes… Lowes follows! If not nearby, somewhere close or across the street or freeway. If Lowes does bad, or cannot compete in the marketed area or region, it closes its doors. So, I am not scared to see what Microsoft might want to pull off…. its if they can maintain it like Apple has.
Well this should be interesting.
I think that’s a great idea… uhm, what will they sell?
I hear it will boast 150-inch blue screens….