[May 18, 2013] Microsoft opens full-line store at Dadeland Tweet May 18, 2013 (The Miami Herald - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- Taking a screenshot from the Apple manual, Microsoft is opening its first full-line retail store at Dadeland Mall on Saturday -- though in a different wing, right down the corridor from its competitor. The store will offer signature Microsoft products -- including Surface, Windows 8 PCs and Kinect for Xbox 360 -- along with other branded goods (such as Acer, Dell, Lenovo, Toshiba and Sony computers ) that run Windows 8. On the shelves will also be accessories, games and an array of software, including Office 365 and Adobe Photoshop. The store also plans to offer classes and workshops and will have an "answer desk," to provide free consultations for customers -- either by appointment or walk-in. It boasts a "theater space" that can be booked for events. "We pride ourselves on having the best selection of products, and also having the most knowledgeable staff who are willing and able to answer questions and find the right product that fits the customer," said Gonzalo Di Paolo, the new store's manager. With 3,000 square feet in the new wing of the mall, it is the company's first full-line store in South Florida and only its second in the state, in addition to one in Orlando. (The company already operates two smaller specialty stores in South Florida, one at another part of Dadeland Mall, between Macy's and Nordstrom, and another at Aventura Mall.) The store is part of an ongoing effort by Microsoft to develop its own retail channel so it can directly connect with its customers, said Stephen Baker, vice president of industry analysis at the NPD Group, which is headquartered in Port Washington, N.Y. "This is the way for Microsoft to have the very best products that Microsoft thinks represent their brand in an environment that they have control of," Baker said. "In a third party's retail store they don't have control of how the store displays PCs or an Xbox or Surface." But he doesn't view it as a competition with i-stores. "It's not designed to be in competition with Apple. It's designed to build the Microsoft brand and sell Microsoft products," he said. Still, shoppers who have visited Apple stores may find some similarities. Shoppers can customize their purchases and learn more about products at the "answers desk," at the back of the store, Di Paolo said. "Whether you purchased from a Microsoft store or someplace else, you get a chance to learn and be more productive with our Windows products," he said. The Microsoft store is part of the first phase of Dadeland Mall's 102,000-square-foot expansion, which is geared to boost the center's stature as a shopping and dining destination. Among other retail stores opening in the new wing, which fronts North Kendall Drive, are Hugo Boss, Tommy Bahama, Urban Outfitters, Express and Edward Beiner. "It's a great addition," said Maria Prado, Dadeland Mall manager. "We're so excited. It's going to be a great store." The Microsoft store, on the wing's first level, has hired 40 staff members to open, Di Paolo said. A grand opening ceremony will be held at 10:30 a.m. and doors will open at 11. Overall, Microsoft now has of 66 full-line and specialty retail stores. Microsoft's specialty store at Dadeland Mall, which carries a smaller assortment of products, opened in October. "Our customers wanted to have a full-line store, and that is why we wanted this store," Di Paolo said. "We're fortunate to have both." ___ (c)2013 The Miami Herald Visit The Miami Herald at www.miamiherald.com Distributed by MCT Information Services [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]