Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) is expanding their brand and plans to open more retail stores later this year. The technology giant will open up five new locations in the following shopping centers: Natick Mall in Natick, MA; Ala Moana Center in Honolulu, HI; Pioneer Place in Portland OR; The Sommerset Collection in Troy, MI; and Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg, Ill.
Microsoft will soon announce the grand opening details of the five aforementioned stores. Last month, Microsoft announced six retail stores that will open later this year, which gives them a total of eleven new store openings. The six other locations mentioned include: The Shops at La Cantera in San Antonio, TX; Dadeland Mall in Miami, FL; Beachwood Place in Beachwood, OH; Westfield San Francisco Center in San Francisco, CA; City Creek Center in Salt Lake City, UT, and St. Louis Galleria in St. Louis, MO.
There are currently twenty-nine Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) retail outlets in the United States, one store in Puerto Rico, and another store in Canada. Microsoft also has specialty kiosks nationwide.
It’s important for Microsoft to launch more stores, especially if they want to promote their products and brand. More retail establishments would make it easier for them to sell more Windows-based smartphone and Surface tablets. Although many retail stores such as Best Buy sell Microsoft’s mobile devices, they don’t specialize in these products, which means their products are often overlooked. Microsoft retail stores give them an opportunity to focus exclusively on their brand.
What people can expect from the new Microsoft stores is an upscale and modern appearance that looks a lot like Apple retail stores. Norman Young, an analyst for Morningstar, Inc. (NASDAQ:MORN), notes the stores as “one-off derivatives”.
Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT)’s stores feature an open floor-plan and minimalist design features with tall ceilings and large windows. Clearly Microsoft has stolen a few pages from the Apple book.
