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Microsoft's new retail store initiative is largely irrelevant

While Microsoft's new retail store initiative is largely irrelevant to their sales, the company may feel advised to pursue this path based on two principal considerations: the enormous success of Apple's retail store network is a compelling argument to explore the possibilities of this space notwithstanding the failures of Gateway and Dell in this segment of the marketplace; Microsoft may view this venue as a means to explore consumer sentiment and do some useful market research in the background

The fact that they have hired an executive with a background from Walmart's retail operations does not seem to be particularly well thought out. If the company is to break out of its shell, a newer vision is required than what is found at Walmart. Longer term, Microsoft may well conclude that this initiative is not only irrelevant but also a distraction and not a particularly fruitful source of market research but one difficult to shoot down without actually running it out

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