Microsoft might open a store on New York's Fifth Avenue, five blocks away from Apple's glass cube

Microsoft is pretty far away from Apple in terms of mobile device shipments and market share (and we bet that things won't change anytime soon), but it appears that Redmond might be trying to get closer to Cupertino in a more physical fashion. A recent report claims that Microsoft might be prepping its first New York-based retail store. It is speculated that it will be situated in a two-story building on 677 5th Ave., which is just five blocks away from Apple's well-known cubical glass store.

At the moment, the store is occupied by Fendi, an Italian fashion house, and its usable area stands at 8,700 square feet. At the moment, the average rent price on Fifth Avenue is roughly $3,500 per square foot. 

This is not surprising at all, because Microsoft usually places its brick and mortar locations pretty close to Apple's ones. Redmond has some 50 stores across the states, but none of them is situated in New York and Manhattan in particular. Up until now, the giant relied on temporary pop-up stores, which had been dismantled right after they've fulfilled their promotional purposes. However, a permanent store that will showcase the company's Lumia smartphones and Surface tablets will probably help Redmond increase its popularity.


source: NY Daily News via Neowin