Microsoft revealed this week that it plans to expand its retail store presence significantly in 2013 and announced the first set of stores it will open next year. The openings are in addition to the previously disclosed plans to expand some temporary holiday stores into permanent retail offerings.
“We opened 51 new Microsoft retail stores, including our first international stores in Edmonton, Burnaby, Vancouver and Toronto, Canada in just the last year,” Microsoft General Manager Jonathan Adashek wrote in a post to The Official Microsoft Blog. “We’re thrilled to ring in the New Year by announcing the locations of our first new store locations for 2013.”
Those new stores will include locations in
- San Francisco, California
- Miami, Florida
- St. Louis, Missouri
- Beachwood, Ohio
- San Antonio, Texas
- Salt Lake City, Utah
Adashek noted that these stores are just the beginning: The devices and services firm intends to open “many others” in 2013.
Microsoft’s retail stores are of course modeled after Apple’s successful stores, but are lauded for offering a warmer, more inviting experience. Until very recently, these stores—and the online Microsoft Store—were the only place where customers could purchase the Surface with Windows RT tablet. However, Microsoft escalated its plans to broaden Surface distribution earlier in December to better meet demand for the product.
Microsoft had also previously opened numerous temporary holiday retail stores around the US and Canada and then announced plans to transition several of those stores into permanent Microsoft retail outlets. The 51 new stores figure Adashek notes above includes both permanent and temporary retail locations.
