If you had a near-monopoly on desktops and operating systems, were sitting on mountain of cash, in the midst of a giant recession with retail stores crashing everywhere, what would your gut tell you? Open a chain of retail stores! That’s what Microsoft is telling us it would do by hiring a guy from Walmart*.
David Porter has the fun job of finding retail locations (psst, David: think Circuit City.) and then what the stores will look like and when they will open. This actually makes a lot of sense as retail crashes and burns. This means fewer places will sell the Microsoft equipped gear. Plus real estate is cheap, and the recession can’t last forever right?
PC Merchandising Expansions
With Experience Centers, Microsoft Plans to Dominate Retail
Trend Themes
1. Experience Centers - Opportunity to create immersive retail spaces that showcase Microsoft products and services.
2. Expansion Into Retail - Opportunity for Microsoft to extend its market reach and control the sales process.
3. Real Estate Bargains - Opportunity to secure prime retail locations at lower costs during a recession.
Industry Implications
1. Technology Retail - Opportunity for technology retailers to partner with Microsoft and offer immersive retail experiences.
2. Real Estate - Opportunity for real estate developers to lease properties to Microsoft for their retail locations.
3. Marketing and Advertising - Opportunity for marketing and advertising agencies to assist Microsoft in promoting their retail stores and driving foot traffic.