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Microsoft confirms plans to open retail stores

updated 09:40 pm EST, Thu February 12, 2009

Microsoft retail stores

Microsoft on Thursday announced the appointment of David Porter as vice president of Retail Stores, confirming earlier reports that the company is planning a foray into the realm of brick-and-mortar establishments. Porter's first task will be to determine the timing, locations and specific details of the stores. He brings experience from 25 years at Walmart where he served as the vice president and general merchandise manager of Entertainment.

The move will bring Microsoft into a new playing field to compete against Apple, although the Mac-maker finished 2008 with 251 retail locations and plans to keep expanding through 2009. Apple Stores have become a strong point of the company, accounting for 46.7 million visitors last quarter and bringing in $1.74 in revenue, averaging $7 million for each store.

Microsoft stores would provide a place to market products directly to consumers, such as the upcoming launch of Windows 7 and the company's Zune and Xbox devices. “This is an exciting time with our strong lineup of upcoming product releases including Windows 7 and new releases of Windows Live and Windows Mobile," Porter said.

Opening retail stores goes against the company's previous strategy that focused on marketing system partners and third-party stores. Porter suggests that the venture could prove beneficial for both sides. “I am excited about helping consumers make more informed decisions about their PC and software purchases, and we’ll share learnings from our stores with our existing retail and OEM partners that are critical to our success,” he said.

Microsoft has not yet announced any plans for particular locations, or if the stores will directly sell computers or provide a place for customers to demo the software.

 
Previous Comments

Wow

02/12, 10:19pm (1 reply) reply

So when is Microsoft going to start building PC's and stop license Windows? That's about the only Apple strategy left for them to copy.

koolkid1976

Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: May 2003

+21

yup

02/12, 10:23pm reply

and this will be the nail in the coffin for MS. This will be a huge failure I am sure.....can you imagine thier Genius Bar lined up with PISSED of Visturd users, zune users and all the other c*** they have made poorly? good GOD the lineups

imactheknife

Junior Member

Joined: Jul 2003

+10

Didn't they...

02/12, 10:28pm reply

...try this before? Oh wait: I guess it was Dell and some other company. The one with the Cow skin looking boxes. Gateway, I think. Both failed miserably, and I think Microsoft is going to follow. Here's to Microsoft's bid to try and stimulate the economy.

juraiprince

Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Feb 2006

+9

wtf?

02/12, 10:29pm reply

Doesn't Microsoft know that EVERY store NOT an Apple store IS a pro-Microsoft store?? What can MS offer in their own store not already available at other retail locations?

gambit-7

Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Feb 2001

+14

This is the dumbest thing

02/12, 10:35pm reply

The whole freaking world is a Microsoft store. When you walk into BestBuy or WallMart's computer sections it's Microsoft land. The computers, the software titles, the peripherals it's all PC. This is just ego. Which manufacture's products are they going to display? There's a billion of them out there. The only thing I can think of is that this is a precursor to a MS branded computer. Apple's store was a reaction to being squeezed out of shelf space. Who's squeezing MS?

Guest

Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Nov 1999

+14

Size matters

02/12, 10:46pm reply

They could save money by putting a Microsoft store inside the broom closet of every Apple store. Heeer's the 15 different versions of Windows on this side and heeeeer's the 4 versions of Office on this side. No Genius Bar.

loudpedal

Junior Member

Joined: Oct 1999

+6

Simple. Sell WindowsXP

02/12, 10:46pm reply

There is a sure-fire way to make sure the company prosper and start to root.

Make sure that WindowsXP is unavailable and sell XP exclusively in Microsoft-direct stores.

Paul Huang

Forum Regular

Joined: Sep 1999

+7

LOLLLLLL

02/12, 10:55pm reply

The best store Micromoron can open is a pharmacy!

jarod

Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Apr 2005

+6

Please let them do it

02/12, 11:55pm reply

Please let them do it , would love to see how badly they try to copy Apple.

russellb

Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Sep 2001

+14

Please let them do it

02/12, 11:55pm reply

Please let them do it , would love to see how badly they try to copy Apple.

russellb

Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Sep 2001

-1

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