The company said today that it plans to launch five new stores by the summer. Stores find homes across the United States in the following points:
Natick Mall, Natick, Massachusetts
Ala Moana Center, Honolulu, Hawaii
Pioneer Place, Portland, Oregon
Somerset Collection, Troy, Michigan
Woodfield Mall, Schaumburg, Illinois
Microsoft plans to reveal details of the large openings at each of the stores in the coming weeks. Five stores announced today are in addition to the six mentioned last month, adding up to 11 scheduled so far for 2013.
Described in a Microsoft blog in December, the other stores that opened this year will be at the following locations:
The Shops at La Cantera, San Antonio, Texas
Dadeland Mall, Miami, Florida
Beachwood Place, Cleveland, Ohio
Westfield San Francisco Centre, San Francisco
City Creek Center, Salt Lake City
St. Louis, St. Louis
Microsoft currently hosts 29 stores in the United States and one in Canada and one in Puerto Rico. The company is also developing a series of specialized kiosks around the United States, which has a sample of "best" Microsoft products.
Microsoft has been on a button to open other retail stores. With the launch of the surface and other features of Windows 8, which can be pushed more necessary than ever.
Thirds of retailers like Best Buy are surface and other Windows 8 tablets and PCs. But they can get lost in the mix of all the other products. And even surface was initially available in the flesh than in stores Microsoft.
Store openings planned in 2013 will certainly help. But Microsoft needs to ramp up new stores across the country if it is to attract customers to view the latest products.
