Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Retail, Found Footage
Microsoft retail store opening in AZ copies freely from Apple Stores
The day is Thursday, October 22nd. You're in Scottsdale, Arizona, and you walk into a brand new store being opened by a multinational corporation that produces technology products, including popular operating systems for computers and mobile phones, music/media players, and 'cloud' email and storage services for consumers.
As you walk into the store, employees in brightly-colored t-shirts cheer and applaud. The store is spacious, with large wooden tables placed far enough apart that the opening-day crowd, standing on a hardwood floor, isn't packed into the place. At the back of the store is an "Answer Bar," where you can ask questions about the operating system on your computer.
No, Apple didn't open a new Apple Store in Scottsdale on the 22nd. Instead, this was the opening of the first Microsoft Store. As expected, the stores draw heavily on the highly successful Apple Store concept; the stores are opening near Apple Stores, the former real estate chief for Apple (George Blankenship) was hired to consult on location and placement of the stores, and Microsoft has even attempted to hire away Apple Store managers to run their retail outlets.
The personal shoppers are a blatant rip-off of Apple's Concierge concept, and Personal Training is an echo of Apple's One-to-One training. The Microsoft Store website has similarities to the pages for individual Apple Stores, down to a scrolling list of in-store classes and events (the list for the Scottsdale store is empty at this time).
It's fascinating to see that Microsoft has decided to copycat the Apple Store concept, but it remains to be seen if the execution will be as successful for Microsoft as it has been for Apple.
[via MacRumors]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 5)
Bingo said 4:10PM on 10-24-2009
Well, Microsoft may have copied Apple, but Apple copied me. That's the kind of reception I get every morning when I wake up to go to the bathroom. It's quite exhilarating...
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Light Speed said 11:10PM on 10-24-2009
how did ms copy? since when did apple have A computer screen wrapping around the whole store? pc customization area? projector screen area in the back? gaming section?
keep whining apple fanboys, this store looks fantastic and kills how any apple store looks.
no name said 11:32PM on 10-24-2009
wow, Light Speed, and you are talking about fan boys here? how ironic....
Bingo said 11:47PM on 10-24-2009
Children! Find another thread. Unless you're here to clap for me when I sh!t, then find somewhere else to argue.
ps - Lightspeed, you're blind and retarded
nick said 1:31PM on 10-25-2009
lol microsoft is so lame, this video looks like a bunch of nerds getting excited.
Mark Bowman said 4:25PM on 10-24-2009
You know what's going to be funny? The first time someone brings their Dell laptop into their and ask for help with a virus and they says "oh we don't support that see your hardware manufacturer".
For buying products everyone is just stick to where its cheapest. So what exactly are you going to get out of these stores? I can see this being helpful for Zune and Xbox support but little else.
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Monica Dickey said 6:01PM on 10-24-2009
Yeah. Apple stores have been a success largely due to the support and helpfulness of its teams. I can't see how the tech support team at a MS store will be able to match the support of an Apple store.
Apple gets to say things aren't under warranty after 1-3 years. When does MS get to say a certain PC is out of warranty? How do they track down obscure parts to repair old computers? Deal with software problems without a flatten and reinstall?
Eric said 8:24PM on 10-24-2009
Monica, please Marry me.
daytripper said 11:15PM on 10-24-2009
@mark and monica
What is so hard about repairing different pc's? I fix pc's as a side job and have never had a major problem. Most pc hardware can easily be purchased through newgg (unless someone is using a computer from the late 80's or early to mid 90's). The way I see it, if those tools at Geek Squad can do it; why can't the nerds at the MS store?
Maccadude33 said 4:27PM on 10-24-2009
Wow, it's truly shocking just how similar the store layouts are. The only major differences I can see from the video are the color schemes and the Xbox area in one of the corners. And look at around 54 seconds in; those look like FW VAIO notebook. We have two of them, and while they are nice computers, from an angle, the silver models do resemble MacBooks. I know Sony had the chiclet-style keyboard first, supposedly, but still, their design isn't too far off. I could see that being a reason to have them there.
I think the stores will be mildly successful. People may go in, look around, etc., but I'm kind of skeptical that they'll sell a lot of products. GameStop already has the games covered, and almost every other major electronics retailer carries Microsoft products of some sort. They won't be able to offer as many laptops either. Well, if it works out, good for them. Honestly, I can't wait to see one open near my Apple Store. I'll bring Win7 on my MBP in and see how fun that is for them. ;)
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Murphy Mac said 8:43PM on 10-24-2009
It's not too hard to picture a story about some MS stores quietly being closed. These things are going to bleed cash. There won't be a way to track whatever benefit they do have and that will ignite the end.
In the end a few will remain open in cities like New York, Chicago, SF and Dallas.
Until then MS will do anything to hide the amount of revenue earned per square foot to prevent embarrassing comparisons to Apple.
Maccadude33 said 12:37AM on 10-25-2009
Dallas eh? Sounds good to me. There are five Apple Stores now in the general DFW area: one in Forth Worth, one at Stonebriar Mall in Frisco, my personal favorite at the Willow Bend Mall in Plano, and then there is a store in Highland Park and a tiny one in Northpark Mall.
Now, the three stores located in malls are all extremely high profile, upscale areas. The North Park area is a very expensive, popular area, and the Plano area is quite nice and affluent. Those are also the two most visited stores, from my experience. If Microsoft decided to place two competing stores across from them, given the low traffic nature of Willow Bend, and the high costs of North Park, I'd say they would stand to make little revenue at all. Hundreds of people purchase Macs and peripherals every day at these stores, and dozens more just lounge about tinkering with the latest hardware. If Microsoft is going to have a small lineup of their own products, I'll bet most people there will be young kids playing on Live. While they might keep the locations around as showcases, as you suggest, they certainly won't become a major source of profits any time soon.
Jeffrey Kesler said 4:30PM on 10-24-2009
I smell a lawsuit.
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Bingo said 6:00PM on 10-24-2009
Well, since you're so learned in the legal profession, please enlighten us with more than just your keen olfactory sense.
Jeffrey Kesler said 8:22PM on 10-24-2009
Well since I've been relying on my olfactory sense so heavily I might as well continue doing so: hmmm.... Right now I smell a wise ass who thinks he knows everything. Maybe you should spend a little less time being a pretentious punk and a little time removing the shoe polish from your teeth.
Charli said 9:09PM on 10-24-2009
well yes there is such as thing as trademark for visual layouts and such but I doubt that Apple will take that route. it is too petty. especially after that 'quiet' update release two days before Win7 and this store. and the rumors that the Mission Viejo Apple Store could reopen the same day as that Microsoft store (and will be twice the old size)
oh and for the record. Microsoft's Personal Shopper doesn't copy the Concierge, it copies the Personal Shopper (yeah Apple has them too for a while now)
even money by the end of the year Apple stores will stop using those WinMo running EasyPay things of theirs and move to ipod/phones with something like that card swiper that the Twitter guy invented
darth_nazgul said 4:31PM on 10-24-2009
So... what exactly is the purpose of a Microsoft store? I mean, do they sell other manufacturer's hardware? Or just software and Zunes?
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mark said 4:32PM on 10-24-2009
Wow it really is sad how much of a mirror image to an Apple store this is.
So what makes this store different from the other store MS used to have open in the Metreon many years ago? Other than the Metreon store was generally empty.
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johnny said 4:32PM on 10-24-2009
Apple stores are popular because you cant walk into any store and buy an apple imac or mac mini or macbook pro. my bestbuy doesnt even carry apple computers. what is this ms store going to have that i cant just get on any online store or best buy? Also apple products dont get discounted much at all. You can shop online for the best price and save a little money but the prices are very close to what you would find in any apple store. pc products vary widely in price therefore people will go online and save a lot over these retail stores. they will not be as successful as apple stores, thats guaranteed.
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Jon Kessler said 4:41PM on 10-24-2009
+1 to Johnny