Microsoft Opens Their Own Retail Store

Microsoft has finally decided to open their own retail store instead of just pushing their products to their retail partners and associates. They have built a powerful ecosystem that relies heavily on vendors.

While this move is being reported as an attempt to copy Apple, this business model is not unique to the fashion company (I meant Apple company) and Microsoft have the resources to create a high-level consumer experience while keeping the price of their products at a minimum.

Microsoft products such as Zune, XBox 360, windows, etc. could do very well especially when they provide a level of user experience and support better than mid-range retailers. How about PCs? It is not yet clear whether Microsoft plans to have their own hardware or sell Dell and other brand PCs. The store is not a Microsoft store if it doesn't have Windows, and Windows wouldn't be what it is without PCs.

I don't think Microsoft needs to create their own PC product as this would force Dell, HP, Lenovo and other brands to put up their own retail stores as well. Also, Microsoft would have to find a way to highlight each of this brands that one would be left behind.

I remember one story by a colleague about a Microsoft manager emphasizing that they are Microsoft and they create the best quality there is. Let's see if this holds true in their stores. How then would the Microsoft store look like? I think it would be a high-tech store driven by touch-screen walls powered by Microsoft surface computing. Wouldn't that get the attention of people?

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