Senior Writer Support Team GFX Crew Global Moderator Zune Lord
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: La Quinta, CA
Posts: 4,623
Microsoft to Create Retail Stores
According to the Microsoft website, David Porter, has been appointed as corporate vice president of Retail Stores. Porter also spent 25 years working at Wal-Mart Stores Inc. where he was vice president and general merchandise manager of Entertainment. He will work with Microsoft to create their own retail stores much like Apple has done with their Mac Gallery and Apple stores. What kinds of things will be available at these stores? What will they look like? Where can we find them? Nobody knows for sure yet but according to Microsoft that will be Porter's first assignment. Microsoft's reason for their interest in creating a chain of retail stores is stated as being that they want to "create a better PC and Microsoft retail purchase experience."
I don't know about the rest of you but I hope there is one near where I live. Who knows I may put in a job application.
I'm guessing that they would never invest money into this unless they thought it necessary to keep up with the times...or competition...which is interesting to me. Anyway, I would definitely like to visit one . I love Apple Stores, so hopefully MS will do a good job as well.
I'm going to charge in leeroy style and start shouting "DEVELOPERS DEVELOPERS DEVELOPERS DEVELOPERS DEVELOPERS DEVELOPERS... " and see how much THEY like it :\
Microsoft had a store at the Sony Metreon in San Francisco but they shut it down a while back... I just read today that Sony is killing their Playstation store (which was REALLY cool) and Microsoft might be re-opening one of their new stores in that same spot. One story I read said that it could not come at a better time since Microsoft is getting ready for some BIG new releases including but not limited to 6 or more versions of Windows 7. It might drive up sales if people could walk into a MS store and see the Zune in action interfacing with other MS products.
For those of you who don't know the Metreon is a building in San Francisco that most might call a Mall but it's creators call it a "It's an urban entertainment destination.". It's got 16 Loews theaters and one of the best IMAX theaters I have even been to (I been to 14 all over the US). Also included are currently or have rotated out Playstation Store, Microsoft store, Discover channel store, Sony Style, Rosetta Stone store, TILT(game parlor/arcade with a full VR room that will litterally make you sick) some GREAT resturants and other stuff.
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Last edited by Ulatec; 02-14-2009 at 01:10 AM.
Reason: Added pic of Metreon
This actually makes sense. How many of you have walked into other retail stores such as Best Buy and asked about mp3 players and had the employees try to talk you into buying an ipod. If you ask them anything about the Zune they more or less shut down because they're either: a) completely ignorant about what it does or b) their manager tells them to promote ipods. It's would really help if they had store with employees who actually know what they're talking about.
My only fear is that the store might not do as well as we'd like due to the economy.
This actually makes sense. How many of you have walked into other retail stores such as Best Buy and asked about mp3 players and had the employees try to talk you into buying an ipod. If you ask them anything about the Zune they more or less shut down because they're either: a) completely ignorant about what it does or b) their manager tells them to promote ipods. It's would really help if they had store with employees who actually know what they're talking about.
My only fear is that the store might not do as well as we'd like due to the economy.
OR they tell you that the Zune is being discontinued all together.
I would definitely put in an application. Although the closest one to me would most likely be in atlanta, which is 2 hours away.
The closest to me would be the one in SF which is a 45 min drive from where I live, but I would still go there. I am pretty sure that they would also have free WiFi in the stores, since they would be promoting Cloud and that is the cool thing that happens using Cloud, unless the wanted to be evil and restrict it. But I think that if they start advertising better like apple does (sorry guys) then these stores could definitely kick off a new way of getting MSFT products.
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"If Barbie is so popular, why do you have to buy her friends?"
Microsoft to Create Retail Stores
. I love Apple Stores, so hopefully MS will do a good job as well.
