Microsoft is Bringing the Windows Store to 500 Best Buys

Microsoft's got a handful of its own-name retail stores dotted around North America but the company looks set to expand its brick and mortar efforts through a new partnership with electronics retailer Best Buy.

Microsoft announced an exclusive partnership with Best Buy that will see 600 Windows Stores open in Best Buy locations around North America. Ranging in size from 1,500 square feet to 2,200 square feet, the Windows Stores will arrive at 500 Best Buy U.S. locations as well as 100 FutureShop and Best Buy locations in Canada.

"The Windows Store offers a large-scale, hands-on customer experience that will show customers how Windows and Microsoft devices and services can make it easier for them to work and play," said Tami Reller, chief marketing officer and chief financial officer of the Windows Division at Microsoft. "We're pleased to partner with Best Buy in bringing the latest technologies to consumers at scale in a unique environment where they can explore how Microsoft products fit together across entertainment, travel, music and other scenarios."

The store-within-a-store locations will allow customers the opportunity to try, compare and purchase a range of products and accessories, including Windows-based tablets and PCs, Windows Phones, Microsoft Office, Xbox, and more. Each location will also have "an innovation space highlighting a variety of Windows scenarios across devices" as well as a special showcase section for the latest Windows-based PC form factors.

The Windows Store will arrive at Best Buy locations starting in June and continuing through until September.

Windows Store Best Buy

Ask a Category Expert

Create a new thread in the US News comments forum about this subject

Title
Title
Subject

This thread is closed for comments

22 comments

Comment from the forums

Your comment

soo-nah-mee 4 years ago

Combining two ships into one ship will still not prevent said ship from sinking.
anxiousinfusion 4 years ago

Great, maybe now they'll sell full retail Windows 8 instead of just the upgrade packs.
branflan 4 years ago

Staffed by hovering morons trying to look like Apple Store employees if they are anything like the Microsoft store
Azriel4444 4 years ago

Unfortunately it will probably be staffed with only best buy employees or best buy quality employees. Plus its another place to pimp their 'Signature' computers. I wonder if Geek Squad will get to do 'Signature Upgrades' also?
Azriel4444 4 years ago

Unfortunately it will probably be staffed with only best buy employees or best buy quality employees. Plus its another place to pimp their 'Signature' computers. I wonder if Geek Squad will get to do 'Signature Upgrades' also?
slomo4sho 4 years ago

Anonymous said:

Staffed by hovering morons trying to look like Apple Store employees if they are anything like the Microsoft store

Are you insinuating that the Apple Idiots are actually competent?
branflan 4 years ago

Anonymous said:

Anonymous said:

Staffed by hovering morons trying to look like Apple Store employees if they are anything like the Microsoft store

Are you insinuating that the Apple Idiots are actually competent?

Not at all, yet MS thinks highly enough of them to essentially copy their entire look right down to the badge/lanyard they wear.
ScrewySqrl 4 years ago

Worst Buy gets th most tone Deaf corporation since the Bourbon Dynasty?

Couldn't happen to a better group of peopl
slomo4sho 4 years ago

Anonymous said:

Not at all, yet MS thinks highly enough of them to essentially copy their entire look right down to the badge/lanyard they wear.

Apparel and aesthetics aside, one would need to deliberately work towards reaching the incompetence levels of Apple Idiots.
gladiator_mohaa 4 years ago

Someone at Best Buy should know by now that Desperation is a very stinky cologne.
gladiator_mohaa 4 years ago

Someone at Best Buy should know by now that Desperation is a very stinky cologne.
southernshark 4 years ago

Two failing companies uniting together in utter fail.
memadmax 4 years ago

I went into best buy looking for RAM and a PSU for my shiny new mobo that I got for dirt cheap on ebay....
I just shook my head... I then went on over to newegg and used their "will call" to pick up my parts fast...
I don't know what I was thinking!
I was impatient... thats what it was lol...
ananke 4 years ago

BB is trying to work on 30% profit margin. I guess, at one point they will end up only selling iAccessories and other high margin plastic crap, since apparently this is their retail strategy.
As for MS...it does work their software, albeit the restrictions and limitations they are trying to incorporate. I am on the edge to move to OSX completely, since the price of entry is almost the same nowadays, but Apple staff at least works straight and it has great development support. Or I may just go Linux and be done with all of MS s**t....A simple Win 8 update manages to mess up all my AV equipment connected through HDMI, every single update...
audiophillia 4 years ago

I say good for them. It will hopefully allow people to get hands on with windows 8 and its device before making their own decision. It seems all to often people hate on windows 8 without giving it a fair shot. I was pleasantly surprised by my new computer with Win8. after setting it to boot to desktop and add a start menu. it behaves like windows 7 but with the improve performance, security and I can her to boot in 5 seconds easy.
jigawatt 4 years ago

This is rather disappointing. Look at how much retail space is lost due to this. Best Buy was already scarce with product of interest, but this appears to be consuming even more space with far less product being showcased(see first photo).
Grandmastersexsay 4 years ago

I remeber how awesome best buy was when they first started. How times have changed.

There are seriously more idiots working there than there are customers. Now they are going to throw 10 more employees in for these MS stores. Walking through BB packed full of comistioned employees is going to be worse than walking through a Mexican flee market.

We are talking about a place that still sells CDs. Even little old gradmothers download their music.
dimar 4 years ago

Funny how Microsoft puts features that I totally dislike in Windows 8 (metro), the new Xbox (no sharing) and their tablets (16:9 screens).. It's like MS intentionally want me not to buy its products..
slomo4sho 4 years ago

Anonymous said:

With an ignorant comment like that calling anyone idiots is the definition of irony.

The last time I stepped into an Apple store was about five or six years ago. I would be happy to hear your insight into how the "Geniuses" are now actually capable of troubleshooting a problem instead of just providing a replacement or sending off the product for "repairs" for the most simplistic of issues.

Now if I just hit a cord and your comment was just a rant because you are a fanboy then I actually find greater irony in your post
tobalaz 4 years ago

I'll have everyone know one of those "Apple Morons" that worked at Best Buy was extremely friendly and helped me pick out a Windows 8 laptop that fit my price range and needs, steered me away from anything Apple (boy his bosses must have p#ssed him off), told me about Ubuntu (REALLY P#SSED him off), and Classic Shell.
I knew about those already, just find it funny an "Apple Genius" couldn't stand the products he was supposed to be selling and was more knowledgeable about the competition.
I enjoy the improved speed and reduced boot time, but the Stock OS interface is just unusable trash. "Not too bad" happens after you add back the start button and menu then disable the charms bar. Those are NOT trademarks of a good OS.

Display All 22 comments

Display more comments