Microsoft Needs to Stops Taking a Bite out of Apple's Store Model

Two years ago, Microsoft launched the Microsoft store. They are now expanding into New York, Canada, and other places as stated in an article in Forbes. However, what happens when a consumer walks into a Microsoft Store? What feel does he get? As Dave Thier states: “Picture and Apple store. Now picture a poorly designed apple store.” This is how a Microsoft store is described by him. As a customer walks in, there are long tables with products that people can try out. Employees are scattered with lanyards. Finally, there is an “Answer Counter” at the back for customer service. It is therefore a cookie cutter store of the Apple store. Is this good for Microsoft?

I believe that the fact that Microsoft has store very similar to Apple, shows that they are admitting that they are second to the Apple store experience. After all, the best form of flattery is imitation. I believe that this is a mistake. Microsoft cannot worry about how the apple store is laid out and ran. Rather, they need to focus on who they are, what they represent, and what they sell. Yes, the Apple store is always a unique experience but it fits with what they are about a represent at Apple—a young hipster generation. On the other hand, that is not what Microsoft is about. Microsoft has primarily been about serving the business. This is who they are and what they serve. Therefore, the storefront should stop pretending to be someone else. It will only confuse their customer base. In developing a store, they should have ignored completely the Apple model and focused solely on how they can present a store to serve their client based. They cannot the fact that Apple has an edge. I believe that with that move, they are subjugating themselves to a number two position when it comes to the store front (Even though they are number two).

To change, I believe that they need to make it seem that the store is on the professional level of who they are serving. There would be many ways to this from ridding themselves of the Apple store layout to making it more like a business office to requiring their employees to dress business casual. In doing so, they will focus on what they do best: serving the business world.