Microsoft is all set to come to Manhattan for this holiday season with a full-fledged flagship store, likely with an “experiential space,” unlike the other stores.
While there are some stores in New York including one in the famous Times Square, Microsoft has executed its plan of 5 years to open an authentic retail store only now. 677 Fifth Avenue, where a Fendi store is currently set up will be the exact location and it is just five blocks south of the Apple store in the area.
The company has officially announced that a store is coming up but there is no word yet as of when it will be opened. Notably, the software giant has 10 other locations on its chart for opening new stores this year.
Microsoft currently manages more than 100 retail stores and most of its full-size stores are in the US, Canada and Puerto Rico.
The location chosen in Manhattan is an international location and is said to be one of the avenues with highest rent. Cushman & Wakefield Inc says that the stores in the block have an average rent of $2,749 per square foot and the destination is one of the most vied as these are premium locations that attract both high end local and foreign shoppers resulting in more sales opportunities.
While the other Microsoft stores feature PCs running Windows, smartphones, Surface tablets, laptops, Xbox consoles, and the like, a Microsoft official said that the company is planning to make the Fifth Avenue store “much more than just a Microsoft Store” without sharing any specifics about the plan. He also added that the store will have an “experiential space” which is the only hint available on how the company is planning to make this store different from the others.
