Microsoft's First Flagship Store To Launch This Fall In New York City

Here’s one small step for Microsoft, one giant leap onto the streets of New York City. After years of expanding its retail presence in shopping malls across the United States, the technology giant behind Windows is preparing to open its first flagship store on New York’s fifth avenue this fall.

The store at 677 Fifth Avenue, is located in a space previously occupied by Fendi. That’s just a few blocks down from the landmark Apple Store Fifth Avenue glass cube adjacent to the Southeast corner of Central Park. Microsoft had confirmed its development on the Fifth Avenue store last year. But no specific launch date was mentioned at the time.

While this is Microsoft’s first flagship store in New York, in 2012 it opened a pop-up shop in Times Square in conjunction with the launch of its Surface tablet. It also maintains a small kiosk within the Time Warner Center shops by Columbus Circle. In total, Microsoft has over 100 stores in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico.

Microsoft showcases a number of its own products in its stores, including “Minecraft,” Xbox One, Windows Phone and its Surface tablets. It also has a selection of third-party Windows computers available for demo and purchase.

Building a Microsoft Store just a short walk from Apple’s cube is not necessarily the most surprising, as the technology company has previously built their stores in close proximity to Apple Stores in retail malls. But how it will play into its overall strategy is yet to be seen. Last week, the company saw a drop in Windows Phone, with platform revenue falling $552 million, or 68 percent, in its fourth quarter.