Scottsdale, Arizona — With the launching of much hyped Windows 7 at the Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco, Microsoft Corp. entered into a new field of battle with Apple with the opening of its first dedicated high-street store in the trendy US town of Scottsdale, Arizona, on Thursday to hundreds of people who waited as long as 12 hours to get freebies and to see if the place is as cool as it was hyped to be.
The software giant has made its first move in trying to match its rival’s successful venture into retail market, and Microsoft has chosen Fashion Square in Scottsdale, Arizona for its first dedicated retail outlet, in a move widely seen by industry experts as an attempt to emulate the success of Apple’s retail stores. Apple has a shop in nearby Phoenix. Microsoft will open a second store in California and is expected to roll out other openings in the US.
The opening of the new store will correspond with the launching of Microsoft’s newly released operating system, Windows 7, which is intended to give the company a more direct connection with its customers.
To infuse an Apple Store-like atmosphere, Microsoft is reportedly giving away gift bags to the first 1000 visitors. The Wall Street Journal reports that a difficult approach is in order, with Microsoft “planning to quietly take the wraps off” the store “on or within days of the launch of the new operating system,” according to an unnamed source.
Eager customers rejoiced as a giant white curtain dropped from the front of the Scottsdale store, revealing a big, bright and airy space lined with giant screens displaying popular video games such as Rock Band and Halo in the “gaming zone,” where shoppers can test the products.
Employees hopped up and down and gestured customers as they ran in the store to get gift bags and browse among laptops, personal computers, cellular phones and third-party software set up on big cedar tables.
Michelle Armstrong, a 20-year-old in pajama pants who slept outside the Scottsdale Fashion Square mall to be among the first in the store, said she was a bit disappointed in the gift bags, which included a $25 gift certificate, chapstick, mints, a bottle of water and tickets to an Ashley Tisdale concert at the store later in the day.
“I heard they would be worth between $500 and $1,500, but I really did want to see the store, so it is not a total loss,” she said. “I think it looks really cool. When they dropped the curtain, I was really impressed.”
In the early evening, pop singer Ashley Tisdale will perform.
According to adverts appearing in the Arizona Republic newspaper, shoppers can expect more than “just hard drives and gigabytes”.
“It is about getting more out of the things you value, like family locations, turning an evening at home in to a night at the theater, having some friendly competition among friends, even making a dorm room feel a little closer to home,” reads the advert. “From computers and software to games, music and phones, once you have found what you are looking for, the Microsoft Store offers things like personal training, technical support, ongoing performance tune-ups… to help you get the most out of your experience.”
Steve Ballmer, Microsoft’s chief executive, said the stores would be key in showing the customer what they can really do with Microsoft products. “It is very important for us to have a direct connection with the user,” he said.
Kevin Turner, the company’s chief operating officer, mingled and joked with the crowd at the opening, calling it “a magical day for Microsoft.”
He said Microsoft stores will stand out from Apple’s stores by developing deeper customer connections.
“We are not looking for an encounter, we are looking for a deep-seeded relationship so we can truly connect with their needs and help illuminate the magic of software and the value of the technology,” he said.
Microsoft plans to open a second store in Mission Viejo, Calif., on Oct. 29.