Microsoft London Store Will Open in July 2019 — And That Makes Perfect Sense
The Microsoft London store is scheduled to open in July of 2019. The new flagship store will be located in Oxford Circus, one of the busiest shopping areas in London. Located just minutes from Apple’s London flagship store, it’s easy for pundits to cal this a direct shot at Apple, but I don’t think that’s the case.
It’s comes as no surprise that Microsoft is making some big, brand-focused moves like this, and it only makes sense as the brand continues to evolve and grow. I believe this is more about Microsoft promoting itself and the company’s retail products than any specific attack on Apple.
Why a Retail Presence is Part of Microsoft’s Game Plan
Microsoft has experienced a meteoric rise since Satya Nadella took the helm of the company. With significant growth in their cloud business, even managing to take a nibble into the AWS marketshare, it’s safe to say the cloud transition planned by the company is now in full swing.
On the retail side, Microsoft’s wins have been a little quieter, but they haven’t gone unnoticed, and a retail presence is absolutely a part of Microsoft’s game plan. The popular Microsoft Surface product line has propelled the company back into a Top 5 global PC maker, achieving a 4.1 percent market share in their fiscal Q1, edging out long time PC maker, Acer. Given the small breadth of the Microsoft Surface product line, this market share is something to note.
Microsoft has also expanded its peripheral products with items like high end headphones to support high fidelity music. And, of course, Xbox reigns as one of the world’s top selling game consoles.
More Retail Locations for Microsoft Makes Sense
Having more retail locations only makes sense for Microsoft. The Microsoft London store allows users to come and experience these products up close and personally, and it will help further the company’s ambitions in winning public perception and gaining market excitement for their future retail endeavors.
Image credit: Microsoft
Futurum Research provides industry research and analysis. These columns are for educational purposes only and should not be considered in any way investment advice.
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Daniel is the CEO of The Futurum Group. Living his life at the intersection of people and technology, Daniel works with the world’s largest technology brands exploring Digital Transformation and how it is influencing the enterprise.
From the leading edge of AI to global technology policy, Daniel makes the connections between business, people and tech that are required for companies to benefit most from their technology investments. Daniel is a top 5 globally ranked industry analyst and his ideas are regularly cited or shared in television appearances by CNBC, Bloomberg, Wall Street Journal and hundreds of other sites around the world.
A 7x Best-Selling Author including his most recent book “Human/Machine.” Daniel is also a Forbes and MarketWatch (Dow Jones) contributor.
An MBA and Former Graduate Adjunct Faculty, Daniel is an Austin Texas transplant after 40 years in Chicago. His speaking takes him around the world each year as he shares his vision of the role technology will play in our future.
