Microsoft will formally open its first U.S. flagship store on Oct. 26 in Manhattan.
Described as six years in the making following its first location in Scottsdale, Ariz., in 2009, the new five-story showroom is located at 677 Fifth Ave. — four blocks south of Apple’s de facto flagship shop.
Its largest store to date at 22,269 square feet, the showplace features such signature elements as live displays, help desk, community theater space and immersive video walls, said David Porter, Microsoft’s worldwide retail and online stores corporate VP.
The grand opening, along with the debut of its first international flagship on Nov. 12 in Sydney, Australia, will be heralded with grand-opening events and more than $5 million in software and technology grants to local organizations, Porter reported in a company blog.
The store is inviting New Yorkers to begin lining up at the entrance, between 53rd and 54th Streets, at 6 a.m. on opening day for giveaways, offers and an appearance by “a special guest.”
In other Microsoft retail news, the company is rebranding all Nokia retail stores worldwide as Microsoft Authorized Reseller stores in the wake of its $7.5 billion acquisition of Nokia’s phone business last year.
