Microsoft opens a flagship store in Fifth Avenue, New York-- the largest Microsoft retail location (and/or software and device showcase) to date featuring a 5-storey glass storefront.
Located just a few blocks away from the iconic cube Apple Store, the New York Microsoft spans 22270 square feet across 5 floors. It "borrows" a lot from the Apple retail design playbook, with wooden tables carrying a variety of untethered devices (such as Surface Pro 4s, Surface Books and new Lumia phones) for customers to pick up and play around with. Visitors can also have a look at future devices held inside museum-style glass cases.
The 2nd floor houses an Xbox games area complete with 84-inch "living room" display, a customer support answer desk and a theatre for community development workshops. The 3rd floor acts as a Dell product showcase unimaginatively dubbed the "Dell Experience at the Microsoft Store." The 4th floor is designated for employees and backstore operations, wihle the 5th has a space for meetings and events.
“Our store on Fifth Avenue-- as well as every other one of our locations across the US, Puerto Rico and Canada-- is here to showcase the best of Microsoft to the local community,” the company says. “We exist to build relationships with our customers, one person at a time, and we are excited to do that on Fifth Avenue starting today.”
