Microsoft vs Apple Stores


Ina Fried for ReCode:

Microsoft's stores have a warm decor, plenty of helpful staffers and an array of PCs, phones and devices. They could use a few more customers, though.

It's hard to know exactly how the stores are doing since Microsoft won't comment on either sales or traffic figures. It is fair to say, though, that it is not uncommon to visit stores in which workers outnumber customers.

It seems weird Microsoft can't follow Apple here. Microsoft's bread and butter is enterprise, so I guess shouldn't be too surprising consumer facing efforts may not be firing on all cylinders.

I've stopped into a Microsoft retail store twice and both times it was a ghost town. Several staff standing around chatting with each other. Probably more employees in the back. One time there was a kid playing Minecraft, and other there were two people... someone looking at a tablet and a kid playing Minecraft.