July 30, 2009

Microsoft is moving forward with its plans to copy a page from Apple's playbook and open a chain of retail stores. Today the company announced the locations of its first two shops, which will be in shopping centers in Mission Viejo, California and Scottsdale, Arizona. Both stores will open this fall.

Redmond, which announced its retail ambitions in February, has said it plans to set up shop near Apple's retail stores. That head-to-head competition will occur at The Shops at Mission Viejo, which has an Apple Store, but not at Scottsdale Fashion Square, which doesn't.

In other words, you're not crazy about Microsoft products. You're comfortable with them. Or maybe you don't like them, but you use them anyway. Which leads me to wonder: Will Microsoft's shops succeed? Will they be wildly successful like the Apple Store, or a retail fiasco like the Gateway Country store? A bit of background: PC maker Gateway launched a chain of retail shops in 1996. At one point it had more than 300 stores across the U.S. The Gateway Country outlets offered software, services, and hands-on training. They sold hardware too.

After the tech bust of 2000, Gateway's fortunes fizzled. The company began closing its retail shops, which proved to be money-losers. In 2004, it shut the last of its Gateway Country stores. The PC maker was bought by Acer in 2007.

Source:-Pcworld.com