Move over Sony and Apple. Microsoft is coming to a mall near you as they jump into the retail outlet chain market. Last year Microsoft dispatched an army of Microsoft experts to take up stations at stores like Best Buy and provide expert guidance for customers. The Microsoft ‘Gurus’ were more or less a response to the ‘Genius Bar’ found in Apple stores.

Apple has seen a boost in their image and their sales which they attribute to their standalone retail stores. However, with the current economy sales have been slowing. Holiday sales for 2008 were down an average of almost 18% per store from the same period in 2007. Circuit City, an electronics warehouse that also sells computers and computer equipment, is in the process of going out of business. People don’t have the disposable and discretionary income they had a couple years ago.

That said- I think it is a good idea. The timing could be better (I will assume they had this idea and were already in the planning stages before the economy imploded). However, I think that customers will appreciate having a brick and mortar store they can go to for expert guidance on Microsoft products. Just as customers have enjoyed the one-on-one guidance and expert customer service in Apple stores, the Microsoft retail store can help customers make decisions about what software is right for them, help them to install the products, educate them on how to maximize the functionality and productivity of the software and more. This level of interaction and guidance will really help in my opinion- especially as they prepare to roll out Windows 7 later this year or early 2010.

Customers need this. Stores like Walmart that sell some computer hardware and software offer no guidance or support at all. Stores like Circuit City (R.I.P.) and Best Buy ostensibly have personnel with the appropriate knowledge to provide guidance, but I have never witnessed it. Most of the time you are lucky if you can get an employee at one of those stores to acknowledge your existence. When you do, finding one that actually knows something more than which model they are supposed to push this week and how to con customers into buying the in-store extended warranty is little short of a miracle.

Done right, this is a great idea. I look forward to checking out the local Microsoft store if and when comes to my neighborhood.