Many companies like Citibank, Tesla or Microsoft admire Apple’s retail strategy and copy it more or less. Whereas Citibank hired straightaway Apples retail design agency Microsoft decided to adapt it with their own resources (in-house and agencies). Microsoft operates currently more than 70 retail stores in the US, the majority in premium shopping malls. And often in sight of an Apple stores. In addition to the stand alone stores Microsoft and Best Buy currently role out more than 600 shop-in-shop in best buy shops across the US.

We visited the Microsoft retail store at Westfield Mall in downtown San Francisco. The store was opened on April 25th, 2013 and represents the current retail concept of Redmond WA based software and hardware giant. The store is dominated by two 32 display video walls (each 16×2) which showcase various content, mainly seasonal promotions and new product launches. The video wall displays in the first stores came from NEC – if this is still the case is not known to us. The quality of the content (animation, resolution etc) is quite good and seems not be scaled.

The store feels very similar to Apple store with low table inviting shopper to try out various hardware and software. In the center of the store – located between the two large video walls – a large touchscreen is in installed for product presentations.

Microsoft seems to expand the number of own retail stores as they transform from a software company to a solution company. The acquisition of Nokia will definitely push the brick and mortar retail activities. Most likely not only in North America but also overseas.

Facts & Figures

Location

Videowalls Microsoft Store San Francisco