Microsoft to Open Fifth Avenue Store, Close to Apple’s Iconic Cube

[RaduTyrsina]

Microsoft has recently confirmed to the Wall Street Journal publication that it plans to open a store just a few blocks away from Apple’s iconic cube on Fifth Avenue. Microsoft's retail store will be located in the heart of New York City and will replace an existing Fendi store. As a matter of fact, this is going to be Microsoft's first full retail store in Manhattan.

David Porter, corporate vice president for Microsoft retail stores, in a statement to the WSJ, said the following:

"As our first flagship store, it will serve as the centerpiece of our Microsoft Stores experience. This is a goal we've had since day one — we were only waiting for the right location. And now we have it."

The location is close to Apple’s flagship New York City store, which makes us wonder whether Microsoft has done it on purpose. But be it as it may, this is going to be a true retail presence in New York City for the company, which is apparently interested to get more people interested in its hardware. Here are some more details from the report:

The Fifth Avenue location, currently a Fendi shop, sits in the center of a glitzy shopping corridor and is several blocks south of Apple Inc. AAPL -0.52% 's store. Upper Fifth Avenue, known as a high-end retail destination for both tourists and locals, also boasts some of the city's highest retail rents, with an average asking rent of $2,749 a square foot as of the second quarter, according to Cushman & Wakefield Inc.

Retailers that claim a spot along this coveted stretch are willing to pay the high prices because a Fifth Avenue location is viewed as an opportunity to market their brand and capture a high volume of shoppers.

It was said that under the new CEO Satya Nadella, Microsoft will have less of a focus on "devices and services" and more on cloud and mobile. But with this move, we see that Microsoft's new chief is able to do well on both fields.

The new location will serve as a flagship to demonstrate upcoming Lumia devices and the company’s Surface Pro 3 tablets. Microsoft has made an aggressive push to broaden its retail reach, currently having more than 100 stores.

However, Apple is well ahead as it has about 254 stores in the U.S., according to its third-quarter report.

Source: WSJ