Microsoft is entering Atlanta retail with plans for a 7,900 s/f location at Lenox Square. When the store opens next April, it will be the 7th for the tech giant. Microsoft opened their first retail outpost in Scottsdale, Arizona last year, and later opened locations in Mission Viejo and San Diego, California as well as in Lone Tree, Colorado just outside Denver. The store will be located on the main mall level in space previously occupied by Mark Shale and currently occupied bya Louis Vuitton temporary store (they are expanding in the luxury wing.) The Microsoft store will take much but not all of the Mark Shale space, as some will be dedicated to the Ferragamo expansion and to Louis Vuitton.Microsoft joins fellow electronics retailers Apple and Sony Style within Lenox Square. Apple opened their first store in Georgia at Lenox Square in 2002, but has since added locations at Perimeter Mall, North Point Mall and the Mall of Georgia. The Lenox Square store became the flagship of the southeast after back storage space was reduced to enlarge the sales floor. Currently the space is 8100 s/f. Sony Style opened in 2007 and has a far smaller, but more interactive space, reminiscent of a mini Hi-Fi Buys, with home theater set-ups and plenty of large, high tech TVs. The three retailers compete in certain segments more than others, such as portable media devices, where Microsoft makes the Zune , and Sony once dominated with its Walkman but now plays catch up to Apple's wildly popular iPod. Microsoft recently announced new details for its long rumored Windows 7 phone and it's likely that it will be on sale by the time the new store opens. This new device by Microsoft would hope to compete with current market leader, Apple's iPhone .
With other recent additions to the mall, Lenox has quite the lineup. I say this, but who knows?Can you think of something they are sorely missing? If so, leave a comment and make it known. ToNeTo Atlanta
2 comments:
Absolutely I can think of things they are missing. Take a look at Dallas' Highland Park Village or Bal Harbour Shops and you will notice that there are still many retailers that have not given the Atlanta market a try.
Also, Charlotte has a Dean and Deluca and we do not. We need a flagship Express store as well.
Hello Anon,
I would agree that Atlanta still lacks some retailers, but it’s possible their plans have changed as a result of the economy and its effect of the progress at SOB. Hermes bolted out of Lenox with the intention of reopening shortly thereafter with a brand new flagship at SOB. As we all know, SOB is a mess and Hermes remains in a holding pattern aka a temp space next to Fado. For the caliber of retailers that are coming to Lenox and Phipps these days to do so, especially now, is that much more amazing.
As for Dean & Deluca, I totally agree. They were supposed to open in the former Just For Feet at Wieuca and Peachtree years ago, but alas they pulled out and went to Charlotte instead. Now, rather than D&D, we are blessed with yet another CVS. Doubt they'd consider coming now, but hopefully down the road...
As for an Express flagship location, I couldn't care less.
Post a Comment