Back in September, Microsoft confirmed that, sometime this fall, it will be opening up 32 pop-up brick-and-mortar stores to better show off its products — namely the much-anticipated Surface — in places where a more permanent Microsoft store is yet to exist. At the time, Microsoft declined to officially comment on speculation that the stores will open on October 26, which is when Windows 8 and Surface RT are set to launch.
Mary-Jo Foley reports that a Twitter user spotted a mention of the New York store opening on the 26th on the official Microsoft Store website. Various other stores are showing a promotional image with the October 26th release date on the website as well.
This is definitely a good move on Microsoft’s part to better showcase Windows 8 and the Surface RT — which will only be officially distributed through Microsoft Stores — but I still think that they should do more bring their retail experience to more locations without opening brick-and-mortar stores. The best way to do this in my opinion is to follow Apple’s strategy; work with big-box retailers like Best Buy, Fry’s, and CompUSA to bring a mini Microsoft Store of sorts within select stores. That way, they can broaden their reach while continuing to build brick-and-mortar stores.
Microsoft will have 44 brick-and-mortar retail stores open by mid-2013.
Here’s a list of the planned U.S. and Canada pop-up stores (no word yet on whether the company has any plans to open up these pop-up stores in other countries):
- Aventura Mall (Aventura, FL)
- Beachwood Place (Beachwood, OH)
- Cherry Creek Shopping Center (Denver, CO)
- Dadeland Mall (Miami, FL)
- Eaton Centre (Toronto, Ontario)
- Fashion Mall at Keystone (Indianapolis, IN)
- Fashion Show Mall (Las Vegas, NV)
- Glendale Galleria (Glendale, CA)
- Mall at Green Hills (Nashville, TN)
- Mall in Columbia (Columbia, MD)
- Metropolis at Metrotown (Burnaby, BC)
- Montgomery Mall (Bethesda, MD)
- Natick Collection (Natick, MA)
- North Star Mall (San Antonio, TX)
- Oakridge Centre (Vancouver, BC)
- Penn Square Mall (Oklahoma City, OK)
- Perimeter Mall (Atlanta, GA)
- Roosevelt Field Mall (Garden, City, NY)
- Ross Park Mall (Pittsburgh, PA)
- Saint Louis Galleria (St. Louis, MO)
- San Francisco Centre (San Francisco, CA)
- South Shore Plaza (Braintree, MA)
- Southpark Mall (Charlotte, NC)
- Stonebriar Centre Mall (Frisco, TX)
- Streets at Southpoint (Durham, NC
- Time Warner Center: The Shops at Columbus Circle (New York, NY)
- Washington Square (Portland, OR)
- West Edmonton Mall (Edmonton, Alberta)
- Westfarms Mall (West Hartford, CT)
- Westfield Garden State Plaza (Paramus, NJ)
- Woodland Hills Mall (Tulsa, OK)
- Woodlands Mall (Woodlands, TX)
