Microsoft opening New York store close to Apple’s iconic cube

Microsoft opening New York store close to Apple’s iconic cube

Tom Warren

The Verge 

Microsoft is opening a retail store in the heart of New York City. The software maker has confirmed to the Wall Street Journalthat it plans to open a store just a few blocks away from Apple’s iconic cube on Fifth Avenue, following rumors from last month. Microsoft’s new retail location will replace an existing Fendi store and serve as the company’s first full retail store in Manhattan. "As our first flagship store, it will serve as the centerpiece of our Microsoft Stores experience," says David Porter, corporate vice president for Microsoft retail stores, in a statement to the WSJ. "This is a goal we've had since day one — we were only waiting for the right location. And now we have it."
A true retail presence in NYC

The location is close to Apple’s flagship New York City store, and it allows Microsoft to finally have a presence in the upscale shopping district of New York City. Microsoft has used pop-up stores previously, including a temporary retail store in Times Square for the original Surface launch, and a speciality store in Staten Island. Despite less of a focus on “devices and services” and more on cloud and mobile under CEO Satya Nadella, Microsoft continues to open stores regularly.

The latest New York City location will join more than 100 Microsoft retail stores in the US, and Microsoft is planning to create an "experiential space" within its new Fifth Avenue store to turn the shop into more than just the average Microsoft Store. It’s not clear exactly what that will entail, but the new location will serve as a flagship to demonstrate upcoming Lumia devices and the company’s Surface Pro 3 tablets. Microsoft has not yet confirmed when its New York City store will launch, but the company is also opening new retail locations in Toronto, Tulsa, Bethesda, and Cerritos before the end of the year.