Microsoft New Year Plans | More Retail Store Locations on the Way
Microsoft December 26 said it was opening new stores in 2013 after what it said was a momentous year for its retail stores.
According to Jonathan Adashek General Manager, Communications and Strategy, Sales & Marketing Services Group, Microsoft in a post: “We have always said that we will adjust our strategy, and open additional stores to deliver the choice, value and service our Microsoft customers have come to expect.”
Microsoft Stores in Six New Locations
Adashek said the six new locations for Microsoft stores in the New Year will be The Shops at La Cantera in San Antonio, Texas; Dadeland Mall in Miami, Florida; Beachwood Place in Beachwood, Ohio; Westfield San Francisco Centre in San Francisco; City Creek Center in Salt Lake City and St. Louis Galleria in St. Louis.
Microsoft did not open this new stores out of nowhere but as a progressive plant to serve its customer needs in various locations.
The firm earlier opened 51 new Full-line and Specialty stores including in places out of US like Edmonton, Burnaby, Vancouver and Toronto, Canada.
More 51 Full-line & Specialty Stores
Adashek said: “Our customers’ shopping needs greatly differ, whether it’s a teen who wants the hottest video game or a parent who wants to ensure their family is safe online. Our store associates work hard to personalize every customer’s experience in making recommendations, and helping with PC setups and other services, allowing customers to walk out the door with a product that’s ready to run.”
The move by Microsoft to open stores across its markets is not just a sales generation tool as many would still buy online but is a move to give personal attention of a sales associate to its customers. Going to stores also helps customers experience the variety of products in stock by the firm.
From Holiday Stores to Brick and Mortar Retail Ones
Microsoft said by mid-December, consumers in the US and Australia would buy the Surface with Windows RT in stores.
Steve Schueler, corporate vice president, Microsoft Retail Sales and Marketing said:“Our plan has been to expand the retail presence for Surface after the first of the year. Based on interest from retailers, we are giving them the option to carry Surface with Windows RT even earlier.”
Surface is now being sold at Microsoft retail stores in the US and Canada while online in Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, the United Kingdom and some parts of the United States. Due to the success of the firm’s holiday stores, Microsoft said it will extend all of these locations into the new year as either permanent brick-and-mortar retail outlets or specialty store locations.
Apart from extending, we will extend a majority of our Specialty store locations into the New Year. We will also transition some of those Specialty stores into permanent Full-line stores given the great success we’ve had with them.We look forward to opening the doors of these stores, and many others, where our direct connection with customers will be built one interaction and one relationship at a time.
UK Retail Presence
Microsoft has been looking for space in the UK to put up its stores too. The Register reports that during the Worldwide Partner Conference, COO Kevin Turner said the firm is going to open over 70 stores in three years in and outside the US.
Turner said: “We’re going to open up 75 more stores over the next two to three years and continue to bring our stores outside the US as well.”
The new stores seem like a drop in the ocean compared to the firm’s plan to spread its influence and sell its products all over.
