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Microsoft to permanently close its retail stores

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Re: Microsoft to permanently close its retail stores

#21

Post by AlphaWeaver »

This is a real shame. We have (had?) a Microsoft Store in the Triangle (Raleigh-Durham), and my visits to that store were always really enjoyable.

I made several warranty claims in-store, and they went above and beyond to help me out, even when my grounds for a claim were kinda shaky.

Microsoft did a really good job of hiring diverse talent, and every store-clerk I ever interacted with was smart, nice, and seemed to genuinely care about fixing your issue. Throughout the day, they held tech demos and video game competitions, and all the kids I saw in the store always seemed to be enjoying themselves. I wouldn't be surprised to hear that a kid visiting the Microsoft store in the mall was inspired to learn more about computers and technology based on their experience.

This sucks.

Re: Microsoft to permanently close its retail stores

#22

Post by nerdjon »

mc32 wrote: post #14
nerdjon wrote: post #2

While I am not surprised, I am disappointed by this. Only because of the state of tech stores in Boston, if I needed something that wasn't Apple (gaming mostly) they were the only other tech store I could reasonably walk or take the train too. Microcenter isn't super close to a train station.

Congregating near Apple stores helped too. If the Apple stores were too busy I’d swing by the MS store. They actually had good product and presented them well. I also liked that their staff seemed more like regular kids rather than “cool” kids, but maybe it’s a misreading.

I think your right, the Microsoft stores... they always just kinda felt like they had to try harder. Where the Apple stores they kinda took being Apple for granted. I can't exactly blame them.

The Microsoft Store in Boston would regularly hold Halo tournaments and similar events later in the day.

However I am torn on being so near Apple Stores. I feel like it caused them to choose worse locations. In Boston, Apple has their 3 story street level location, while Microsoft was across the street but hidden in a mall.

I can't think of an event where I needed to go to the Apple store and would have been able to go to Microsoft Store instead.

Re: Microsoft to permanently close its retail stores

#24

Post by sambroner »

This is disappointing, although I'm not surprised.

One of the best things about the Microsoft stores is that they provided an obvious way to get individual attention on software issues. My grandfather was a frequent visitor of the Microsoft stores to resolve his software issues with his SurfaceBook and his generic Dell Laptop.

This type of one on one, in person attention was really useful to him and made the Microsoft brand much more approachable. He loved going and he's gotten really great with his computers!

Disappointing news for him and for me, although I can understand the business justification.

Re: Microsoft to permanently close its retail stores

#25

Post by sushshshsh »

nerdjon wrote: post #2

While I am not surprised, I am disappointed by this. Only because of the state of tech stores in Boston, if I needed something that wasn't Apple (gaming mostly) they were the only other tech store I could reasonably walk or take the train too. Microcenter isn't super close to a train station.

I always remembered walking along the Charles, really far west of the Mass Ave bridge and asking myself "why is there a Microcenter here?"

Re: Microsoft to permanently close its retail stores

#26

Post by thrwn_frthr_awy »

josephpmay wrote: post #16

I think one point people are missing: Apple stores, even if they exist mainly to promote the brand, are MASSIVELY profitable. In fact, they are one of the most profitable store chains in the world. By contract, I believe that Microsoft was always running most of their stores at a loss. Even for a massive company like Microsoft, continuously running an unprofitable division is hard to maintain.

Also, Apple has continued to pay their retail employees throughout the closures. If the Microsoft stores were already struggling for profitability, closing the stores may have been the better choice rather than to having to layoff and then try to rehire.

Re: Microsoft to permanently close its retail stores

#27

Post by matthewaveryusa »

nerdjon wrote: post #2

While I am not surprised, I am disappointed by this. Only because of the state of tech stores in Boston, if I needed something that wasn't Apple (gaming mostly) they were the only other tech store I could reasonably walk or take the train too. Microcenter isn't super close to a train station.

The microcenter in Cambridge is borderline distance from the T -- take the T to central, and then blue bike for 10 minutes -- there's a bluebike dock right in front of the place.

Re: Microsoft to permanently close its retail stores

#28

Post by jsnell »

softwaredoug wrote: post #11

How much is this MS deciding they’re really not a consumer brand - but rather one focused on cloud and enterprises?

Huh. I was going to say that it was absurd to suggest they were giving up on consumers, given just how heavy they've been investing in gaming for the last year. But writing that out made me realize they unceremoniously killed Mixer just three days ago.

Re: Microsoft to permanently close its retail stores

#29

Post by bredren »

josephpmay wrote: post #16

I think one point people are missing: Apple stores, even if they exist mainly to promote the brand, are MASSIVELY profitable. In fact, they are one of the most profitable store chains in the world. By contract, I believe that Microsoft was always running most of their stores at a loss. Even for a massive company like Microsoft, continuously running an unprofitable division is hard to maintain.

I saw Ron Johnson speak around 2012 in San Mateo. He oversaw the initial rise of the Apple Store. I remember him saying Jobs told him there was basically an unlimited budget to make the stores a success. The difference is it only took Apple three years to reach $1B in annual sales.

Re: Microsoft to permanently close its retail stores

#30

Post by chadcmulligan »

geerlingguy wrote: post #20

A lot of people mention that the MS stores were a 'brand image' or 'marketing' front, but if that's the case, I can see why they closed. The three or four I visited were very near an Apple Store, and while the Apple Store across the way was always bustling and had people standing around with their Apple devices even outside the store front (I guess waiting for Genius appointments)... the Microsoft stores were always…

> I guess waiting for Genius appointments

I'm convinced this is deliberate - the apple store is full of blue shirts and people waiting for their appointments / devices to be fixed. It makes the shops look like they're busy, most shops would not make people wait around like that for things to be fixed, but apple gets away with it somehow. It's all very clever - I call it apple theatre, and yes I participate myself. I'd never wait that long to get my PC fixed, I'd drop it off and come back to pick it up - total time 5 minutes, but somehow apple make it so people happily sit round while the genii investigate things and engage in the mystical business of fixing the phone/Mac, challenging the apple hierarchy to get that special repair price for you, and I don't think I've paid full price for a repair for a long time (ever?), so I indulge them.

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