Microsoft is preparing to open a retail location just a street over from Sony and a few blocks down from Apple on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, but only time will tell if Satya Nadella's newly signed lease for the some of the most prized real estate in the world is a strategy the company can sustain.
The new Microsoft software will be located at 677 Fifth Avenue in New York City, according to David Porter, Microsoft's corporate vice president of Worldwide Retail Stores.
Microsoft has 108 physical stores in the U.S. and they are within a 20 mile range of 80 percent of Americans, according to Porter. There is also a Microsoft kiosk in Manhattan, but the store on Fifth Avenue with serve as the company's flagship location.
"As our first flagship store, it will serve as the centerpiece of our Microsoft Stores experience," says Porter. "This is a goal we've had since day one -- we were only waiting for the right location. And now we have it."
Porter says the new store will offer many of the same product offerings and help desk solutions as other Microsoft stores, but the Fifth Avenue location will deliver much more than a retail experience.
"Our Answer Desk experts can help you with all of your tech needs -- with numerous services for free," says Porter. "And with the Community Theaters in many of our stores, anyone can come and discover how to get the most out of Microsoft products -- for example, kids can learn about science and technology, how to program and more; and small businesses can take classes on how to be more productive -- all at no cost."
The Microsoft store will also house "experimental space," according to Porter who says the space will be used to find new ways to engage with customers and partners.
"This is an important milestone for Microsoft overall, our Stores team and millions of our current customers, as well as the millions to come," says Porter. "We could not be more excited to join one of the most visited streets in America."
Opening at $45.98 per share before the flagship store was announced, Microsoft's stock continued it year-long climb. Back in January of 2014, Microsoft's shares had been valued at as low as $34.98 per.
The year-long, slow and steady climb of Microsoft's stock has left many financial analysts unimpressed, as they express fears shares will peak soon and begin trailing off. But with Windows news inbound and an outlet for its ambassadors on Fifth Avenue, the tech firm may delay the bearish fall many have projected.
Microsoft's new flagship store, along with other locations, will play a key role in Microsoft's strategy, according to Porter. With investor and analyst pessimism growing, the flagship store could spark the grassroots movement Microsoft needs to instill hope in consumers and partners.
