“Apple’s retail team would say that moving their Bellevue Square (Wash.) retail store from its narrow, 30-foot storefront into the chain’s largest space is simply part of the company’s on-going commitment to expand square footage,” Gary Allen reports for ifoAppleStore.
“But anyone visiting the small Apple store can’t help but notice a shadow, cast from the enormous Microsoft store three spaces away that opened last November, and might wonder if Apple is trying to win back the spotlight that Microsoft very deliberately stole,” Allen reports. “Whatever their motive, later this year the Apple store will move, from its ground-floor location that opened in 2003 with 4,600 square-feet, and into a second-level space formerly occupied by three separate retailers.”
Allen reports, “When the move is finished by year’s end, the store will double its current size and, most importantly, will be visible to every single visitor leaving the Microsoft store across the hallway and one floor below.”
Read more in the full article here.
Related articles:
Steve Ballmer wants Microsoft’s retail store count to surpass Apple’s – April 6, 2011
Microsoft: Shameless Apple copier; Plus: Watch Steve Ballmer screaming in a mall (with video) – November 19, 2010
Microsoft retail store traffic pales in comparison to Apple’s – November 26, 2010
Microsoft to open huge store in mall of America directly across from Apple Store (with video) – October 5, 2010
Analyst: Apple Retail Stores mauling Microsoft; Since 2004 over 18m Windows users switched to Mac – April 28, 2010
Meanwhile…. Ms closes another store 😉
Who was it that said that Apple would fail with apple only retail stores? I remember seeing the article years ago, can’t think who said it.
Did Microsoft close a store? I don’t remember reading about that.
MacBillGates
Was just a jab at ms.
There is a link above to a ballmer story, he wants more stores to compete with apple stores.. But they lose money for ms. It’s an internal battle between ballmer and the rest of the board.
Actually, Microsoft did already close their first retail store, but it was shut down back in 2001:
http://articles.sfgate.com/2001-10-26/business/17621922_1_windows-xp-microsoft-store-great-day
Open more Mister Softy stores. Give Ballmer a raise. Dead in the water.
I’ve taken Microsoft employees to the Apple store at Bellevue Square, and they walk around in a daze, and leave slack-jawed, because they really really didn’t understand what they were up against, living in an insular wintel existence.
News from the Bellevue Mall Management.
They are thrilled to announce the pending move by the Apple store. They are also thrilled to inform shoppers that Microsoft Corp. will be investing in the retail space to add a third floor with the Microsoft Store to occupy the space above and across from the upcoming Apple store. Costs are expected to be paid by Microsoft to the tune of $85 million with completion sometime in early or late 2016.
🙂
“win back the spotlight that Microsoft very deliberately stole”
Huh? LOL Talk about delusional.
I notice they mentioned “visitors” instead of customers, because while people come to the Apple Store to actually buy things, those at the microsoft store are mostly the morbidly curious.
How many ways can Steve Ballmer find to flush away MS cash?
Visitors or Victims?
Maybe the MS store gets more “visitors” around Halloween. Morbid curiosity and a haunted empty house go hand in hand.
Apple should add this store sales tally LED board visible to everyone. Then MS would think, yeah we are going to do that too. Of course, their store sales could be tallied by high school part timers turning over the numbers like the used to do at the ball parks.
In the MS store, I see a scoreboard such as the ones used to show Curling scores.
But in the MS stores, the counter would be significantly less active than the scoreboard at a Curling rink.
A Curling rink in a very small town.
A very small town where Curling is not at all popular.
A very small town where Curling is not at all popularand is located in the Tropics.
I’m not sure what the article writer was thinking, trying so desperately to cast this story as “Apple flees from shadow of Microsoft’s store!!!!111!1” – as if that had been any kind of major factor in Apple’s decision-making process. Sounds more like Apple needed a ton more space for all the visitors they’re getting and products they’re selling there.
But hey, if delusional reporter opinions help keep Microsoft shareholders and board members content with Ballmer’s current strategy, well, let’s not wake them up to how poorly these Microsoft “stores” are actually performing. 😉
“will be visible to every single visitor leaving the Microsoft store ”
Let’s hope Apple will not be dependent upon such meager traffic as the exeunt omnes from a µ$oft store, certainly no more than a putrid trickle at best.
So nobody except Microsoft employees and the janitorial crew will see it?
“When the move is finished by year’s end, the store … will be visible to every single visitor leaving the Microsoft store across the hallway and one floor below.”
So Apple will increase the number of people who see their store each day by what? Six? 😀
——RM
“Win back the spotlight” they never lost?
Every Apple store that has had a copycat MS store built near it is always busier. Always.
Consumers want the Apple product quality. And those same customers laugh at the failed attempt by MS to “clone” the Apple store.
Take that Beeytch
At the Apple store in Oklahoma City, I was checking in for mu genius bar appt. while a couple was doing the same. They asked the girl who was checking us in, “Is it always this crowded.” “Yes sir,” she said.
Bazinga!