A tale of two stores

Last night, I visited the Amazon store at Bellevue Square and then the Microsoft store.

The Amazon store was small and ridiculously crowded. But the Alexa and Echo devices were prominently displayed. Probably at least 10 different devices with integration skills displayed with Philips Hue lights. But consumers were interacting with them.

At the Microsoft store there were two Invoke devices relegated to a tiny display in a no-man’s area of the store. Wedged in between some other displays. Of course the Surface devices were prominently featured at the front of the store. But so were all of the crappy cheap laptops. Why on earth wasn’t the Invoke given a prominent table on the right-hand side of the store?

I had to actually ask an employee where on earth the Invoke’s were and his reply of surprise told me I was the first to ask.

Disheartening to say the least. Microsoft can’t play the consumer game worth beans.

Sure, the Invoke sounded better. But I’m seriously considering returning my Invoke as it’s almost guaranteed this thing if going to be killed off. They can’t even market this thing in their own stores.

Conversation 15 comments

  • Paul Thurrott

    Premium Member
    16 December, 2017 - 3:22 pm

    <p>Well, that is depressing.</p><p><br></p><p>On the upside, you can pay with cash at a Microsoft Store. Amazon doesn't take cash.</p>

    • jimchamplin

      Premium Member
      17 December, 2017 - 8:04 am

      <blockquote><a href="#228278"><em>In reply to paul-thurrott:</em></a></blockquote><p>They don’t take cash!? How the hell does that even work? </p>

      • yaddamaster

        17 December, 2017 - 10:43 am

        <blockquote><a href="#228369"><em>In reply to jimchamplin:</em></a><em> They also don't post any prices on anything other than the Alexa and Echo devices. They have kiosks where you can scan to get the prices. But the salesperson said the prices change so frequently and often throughout the day they can't put prices on them.</em></blockquote><p><br></p>

      • Locust Infested Orchard Inc.

        19 December, 2017 - 8:01 am

        <blockquote><a href="#228369"><em>In reply to jimchamplin:</em></a></blockquote><p>One is expected to sell one's soul to the dark side.</p>

      • Nic

        Premium Member
        19 December, 2017 - 2:06 pm

        <blockquote><a href="#228369"><em>In reply to jimchamplin:</em></a></blockquote><p>You ever tried to pay a cellphone bill at a store with cash? They haven't accepted it in a decade.</p>

    • yaddamaster

      17 December, 2017 - 10:45 am

      <blockquote><a href="#228278"><em>In reply to paul-thurrott:</em></a><em> For fans of Microsoft (and I am, despite my negativity), it's depressing AND frustrating. I have a few neighbors who work in various consumer-oriented parts of Microsft and they all admit it's an incredibly frustrating time to be there. Everything they want to do is thwarted by top brass and it ends up coming across as a half-hearted effort.</em></blockquote><p><br></p>

      • Locust Infested Orchard Inc.

        19 December, 2017 - 8:10 am

        <blockquote><a href="#228385"><em>In reply to yaddamaster:</em></a></blockquote><p>Those so-called "top brass" are acting as "ass brass" (now there's a classy assonance for you) if they indeed thwart genuinely good ideas to improve the consumer-facing parts of Microsoft.</p>

  • GT Tecolotecreek

    17 December, 2017 - 11:44 am

    <p>It's not that they can't play the consumer game, they have to commit to it. The whole MS Store feels and looks like a knee jerk reaction to the Apple Stores. (They have them so we have to have them) Apple went all in on their store initiative, ignored the doubters and ended up with the most successful retail operation per Sq./Ft. MS does not have the patience to build a retail success and the stores will be gone in two years except in Seattle. </p>

    • hrlngrv

      Premium Member
      17 December, 2017 - 8:53 pm

      <p><a href="#228390"><em>In reply to GT_Tecolotecreek:</em></a></p><p>Apple either already had people who knew retail and did a great job on store layout/design, or they hired new people who did a great job. MSFT seems not to have the former and not to accept needing the latter. IOW, I don't think it's patience, rather MSFT is too cheap to hire people who understand retail.</p>

      • GT Tecolotecreek

        17 December, 2017 - 8:56 pm

        <blockquote><a href="#228516"><em>In reply to hrlngrv:</em></a></blockquote><p>The patience refers to sticking to it when it doesn't immediately doesn't start making money. Their is a ramp up period. Agree with your other points as Apple went outside for retail experts. </p>

  • sentinel6671

    Premium Member
    17 December, 2017 - 3:54 pm

    <p>This makes me think of my local shopping centres, where there is an Apple store and a Microsoft store. Consistently, the Apple store is always vibrant with a community feel and the Microsoft store has no one with the employees milling around trying to look busy.</p><p><br></p><p>I wonder why Microsoft bothers.</p>

  • jimchamplin

    Premium Member
    18 December, 2017 - 9:45 am

    <p>The Microsoft Store here in Austin is surprisingly competitive. Sure, it isn’t standing room only, but when I’m looking to drop hundreds of bucks on something, a quiet experience is definitely superior to having four strangers up in my face.</p><p><br></p><p>I went to look at the Apple Watch last year and the guy literally had to shout to be heard over the din in the place. I wasn’t able to hear the quality of the speaker on the watch at all. </p><p><br></p><p>I agree with points made about Microsoft’s fickleness, impatience, and cheapness, since those traits are exactly why it’s hard to get behind any big push of theirs. I’d love an Invoke, but are they going to unceremoniously drop it in nine months? Who knows. Will there be other products that can form a full home solution? Small pucks like the Dot? Big centerpiece speakers like the Home Max? Again, no idea. </p><p><br></p><p>I’ll say it this way, one of the biggest differences in Microsoft and their two main competitors is communication. When Tim Cook or Hair Force One goes on stage at an Apple event, it’s all marketing, you know that, but at a Microsoft event it’s all so cringeworthy. The contrast between the two iS vast. Microsoft seems to be run by PR undergrads who insist on their shitty ad copy being read verbatim at a multi million dollar event. </p><p><br></p><p>That at difference in communication trickles down through the organization to where the whole place seems like it’s run by Capposella’s interns. </p>

    • Locust Infested Orchard Inc.

      19 December, 2017 - 7:59 am

      <blockquote><a href="#228637"><em>In reply to jimchamplin:</em></a></blockquote><p>I'm in total agreement with your sentiments, such that I cannot bring any further value to this conversation.</p><p><br></p><p>Also for those who are unaware, the reference to "Hair Force One" is Apple's Craig Federighi. Does Tim Cook still refer to him as "Superman" ?</p>

  • yaddamaster

    18 December, 2017 - 9:47 pm

    <p>and the whole thing doesn't help when in a WSJ article on smart-speakers that Microsoft isn't even mentioned. Not even once.</p>

  • Tony Barrett

    19 December, 2017 - 6:52 am

    <p>As I've previously said, Invoke will disappear inside of 6 months. Nobody's asking for it, nobody's even talking about it, and certainly nobody's buying it. MS couldn't market a product if Nadella's bonus depended on it.</p>

Windows Intelligence In Your Inbox

Sign up for our new free newsletter to get three time-saving tips each Friday

"*" indicates required fields

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Thurrott © 2024 Thurrott LLC