The seventh Microsoft Store will open at Bellevue Square on November 18th.
The store will offer hundreds of products, including the latest PCs running Windows 7, Xbox releases, Windows Phones, and more. Customers can learn new technology skills in the store’s theater space as well as receive PC setup assistance and training.
In honor of the new store, Microsoft will donate up to $1 million in software grant donations to two local organizations: First Robotics, which organizes team-based robotic competitions, and Study Zone (KCLSF), an after school program located at Seattle area libraries.
The public can vote to determine how the funds are distributed to the organizations at the Microsoft Store’s Facebook page. Every vote adds $20 to the total amount donated.
Sigh, have to wait another month! It’ll be worth it though, can’t wait!
Yawn….
Thank goodness! It is SO hard to find Microsoft products to buy in Seattle! Now I can FINALLY buy a Zune & a Kin!
Let me guess…Microsoft will give their Bellevue employees a “paid holiday” day off so they can line up outside of store. They will cheer & shout over the latest products that they have been working on & high five each other when they finally get to see the ( in a Microsoft Store ).
Q: Why wasn’t Bellevue the FIRST place that a Softie Store would debut?
Q: Why isn’t the MS Retail Store profits available to the public?
Why would Bellevue be the FIRST place that Microsoft would want a store? For that matter, why not Kirkland or Seattle? People in the Seattle area and especially Bellevue know tons of people who work for MSFT and can easily get MSFT products from their friends through the employee store. I think it’s a good idea to open this store in Bellevue, but by no means should this have been MSFT’s FIRST retail store. I think it was smart for MSFT to open a store away from their headquarters to get a real idea on market demand for their stores.
With regards to the profit of the retail stores, these stores have only been around for a year and it would be a waste of time and space to really talk about or post anything detailed regarding this new business experiment. I’m sure they will announce something at year end if any analysts are interested in hearing about it. But until these stores become more than just a small fraction of MSFT’s bottom line, I doubt you will get any meaningful profit breakout.