iTunes now available on the Microsoft Store after delay
After promising, and then pushing it back, iTunes is now finally available on the Microsoft Store after much anticipation.
Microsoft charms ‘old friends’ at 5th Ave Apple Store with ‘Peace on Earth’ performance [Video]
While Apple’s Christmas ad brought Stevie Wonder and Andra Day together this year for a warm performance of ‘Someday at Christmas’, Microsoft decided to take to the cold streets of New York City this year for their holiday commercial … right in front of the iconic 5th Avenue Apple Store. Taking a rather cheeky approach to celebrating the season while naming the competition, Microsoft Store employees from a nearby location traveled down the block to sing ‘Peace on Earth’ to “some old friends” decked in red shirts … Apple Store employees.
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Microsoft says iPhone users welcome in Apple Store-like 5th Ave Microsoft Store
After setting up shop just a few blocks away from Apple’s signature retail store on Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue, Microsoft says that iPhone users will be welcome to drop into the new Microsoft Store opening today, reports the NY Times.
“If you bring your iPhone in here, I’d love to show you how to use Office on it,” said Kelly Soligon, senior director of retail stores marketing at Microsoft.
While the piece notes that previous Microsoft Stores have seen few visitors, the company is hoping that its recently-launched Surface Books will change that.
Photo: Engadget
Microsoft confirms it’s opening its “first flagship store” a few blocks from Apple’s iconic cube as Steve Jobs backstory revealed
Microsoft has confirmed its rumored plan to open what it describes as its “first flagship store” on Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue, a few blocks away from Apple’s glass-cubed flagship store, reports the WSJ.
“As our first flagship store, it will serve as the centerpiece of our Microsoft Stores experience,” said David Porter, corporate vice president for Microsoft retail stores. “This is a goal we’ve had since day one—we were only waiting for the right location. And now we have it.”
Former Apple SVP of Retail Ron Johnson talks Apple and Microsoft Stores, offers surprising praise for Surface 3
Former Apple Senior Vice President of Retail (then ousted JCPenney CEO) Ron Johnson made a somewhat rare public-facing appearance on Andreessen Horowitz’s podcast. The discussion comes in at just under half an hour and features the former head of Apple Retail discussing his experience with leading the Apple Store as well as the challenge for up-and-coming startup brands to afford brick-and-mortar retail channels, but more interesting from an Apple perspective is Johnson’s praise for Microsoft’s retail stores and the Surface 3 tablet that the company heavily markets against Apple’s MacBook Air.
“I think the Microsoft stores have succeeded much more than popular opinion. […] I think it’s really helped, for instance, the Surface 3. It’s a really great product and we all know that. Everyone who has tried a Surface 3 is pretty blown away with the software, the interaction, how it can be a tablet and a computer, its part of the future. Without those stores that Surface 3 wouldn’t be where it is today.”
Google to open retail stores to compete with Apple Stores
Google is launching retail stores by the end of the year to sell its own products, we’re reporting over at 9to5Google. Will Google try to squeeze into the local Mall between the new Microsoft store and the existing Apple store? Will it be able to supplant some of Apple’s MacBook sales with its $249 Chromebooks? iPhones with Nexuses? Find out more.
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Black Friday was bleak for Microsoft as Surface Tablet didn’t register a blip compared to iPad
Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster is out with a note today comparing foot traffic and sales per hour at Apple and Microsoft retail stores for Black Friday (via Fortune). Munster’s team apparently spent eight hours outside of the Mall of America Apple Store in Minneapolis to provide us with some good stats on how well Apple Stores did compared to the Microsoft Store at the same location. Munster found customers purchased 17.2 items per hour at the Apple Store, compared to just 3.5 products per hour at the Microsoft store. However, he also reported all but two of the Microsoft store purchases were Xbox titles.
During their eight hours at the Apple Store (and two hours at the Microsoft store), Munster’s team reported an average of 11 iPads per hour—compared to zero Microsoft Surface sales. Unfortunately, the chart above doesn’t track iPhones sales.
The positive take away was store traffic was up 31% y/y, likely driven by shoppers wanting to see the new iPad Mini. The negatives were that the most popular iPad Mini (16G) is in limited supply and Mac sales (~12% of revenue) continue to appear to be impacted by the iPad and a slowdown ahead of the new iMac.