APPLE CLOSES OC STORE: RENOVATION TARGETING MICROSOFT STORE?

Looks like the battle continues, even before Microsoft opens their first store at The Shops at Mission Viejo. What? You thought Apple was going to sit idly by while Microsoft has their Grand Opening later on this month? Microsoft planned on taking a bite out of Apple, but I’m not sure Microsoft planned on Apple biting right back.

Apple obviously has seen Microsoft’s plans for their new stores and well, if they had the same thoughts as I did, Apple realized they needed to up their game. So as of September 14, Apple has closed their store down at their Mission Viejo location. The same store I mentioned in an earlier post, only 8 spaces down from the Microsoft Store, which is still under construction. That would be a pretty ballsy move on Apple’s part if they opened their new store at the same time as Microsoft’s grand opening.

Update: Not only are they renovating the new Apple Store, they did exactly what I thought they might do. They took over the kids store next door and have now expanded. The store should now compete with the size of the Microsoft store.

This is becoming more interesting than I had thought.

More info can be found at OC Register

MICROSOFT STORE MISSION VIEJO, CA: APPLE STORE CLEARLY IN ITS SIGHTS

Fall 2009 is right around the corner and along with Fall comes Microsoft’s Windows 7 release date, due to release to the public on October 22. So what else is due? How about the first of two brand new Microsoft Stores to coincide with the scheduled release of its newest operating system? Sounds like the perfect plan, doesn’t it? One of Microsoft’s new stores will be opened soon at The Shops at Mission Viejo in Mission Viejo, California and the other at Scottsdale Fashion Square in Scottsdale, Arizona. I happen to live in Mission Viejo so lucky me, I get to see the store, a.k.a. this giant white box with stickers, firsthand. (I tried to peak inside, but the door was locked.) But I did notice something I’d like to point out. One of the things I noticed was its curiously close proximity to another consumer electronics store inside The Shops at Mission Viejo.

Now this might not be a big deal to some, but I couldn’t help but notice, not only is there an Apple Store in this same exact mall, but the location of these two competitors are only 8 stores away from each other. Yes, I counted. But that may not even be the most interesting part about what I noticed when comparing the two stores tonight. You see, I have a little “Mall Spy”, a.k.a. my fashionista girlfriend who works as a visual merchandiser and is at the mall almost 24/7, and she mentioned to me that most mall employees have been curiously guessing at what was behind these white boarded barriers before the stickers went up today. The store that occupied this space prior to Microsoft’s construction was a large clothing store called “The Limited”. And from what I have been told, the rumors around the mall was that the retail store taking its place had to be an H & M, Anthropology or another Hollister store due to its size and layout. Because let’s face it, all a Southern California Mall needs is another Hollister store, right? But to everyone’s surprise today, it ended up being none other than the first Microsoft Store itself, leaving everyone stunned since no one really knew these stores were coming. Except for maybe the most informed Microsoft fans and media of course. I mean, personally, I read about these stores being planned, but I didn’t know when and where. Now I do.

So as you can tell from the map at The Shops at Mission Viejo, (this might not be to scale but you can get a general idea in the pictures I’m posting), the size difference when you compare the Microsoft Store to the Apple store is quite drastic. The Apple Store might as well be a GameStop and the Microsoft Store might as well be a Best Buy. It’s ridiculous! And I am curious to know if Apple is going to decide to upgrade its current location. Maybe take over the baby store next door and double its showroom floor? It might have to if the Microsoft Store steals some of its traffic. Because let’s face it, Microsoft obviously has some big plans for Fall and if we all know Microsoft as well as we think we do, they always have big surprises up their sleeves. (If they aren’t already leaked beforehand) Say what you will about them. Love or Hate, they can definitely start a buzz. And that buzz has just begun in Mission Viejo, California.

I’ll try and keep updating my blog with the construction progress and I’ll take any new photos worth looking at. As for now, there really isn’t much to see other than this. All we can do is speculate on Microsoft’s big plans. But if you want to see what the design plans are, they have been leaked already. (of course they have, what doesn’t get leaked now days?) You can find 54 slides leaked onto Gizmodo and read a lot more details on what to expect when you walk into this Microsoft Oasis.

Huge flat screens wrapping the entire store, planned demos of new XBOX 360 Games, Project Natal, maybe even, dare I say, a release party for the often rumored but never confirmed portable gaming system to compete with PSP, iPhone and DSi!? Ahhh man, I can dream can’t I? But questions still remain. Will this new store have any effect on the Apple Store just steps away? Are Mac, iPhone and iPod users the type of people that would switch sides? I don’t think they are. Apple fans seem to be a loyally hardcore group. Can Microsoft compete with the amount of items in an Apple Store? Will consumers want to shop in a store full of software that they can get just about anywhere else? A portable gaming system, cell phone and Microsoft built PC’s would certainly help. But those don’t exist as of yet. What will draw in these consumers? It will be very interesting to see Microsoft’s overall plan of action once these stores are open.

What do you think about all this? Please let me know in the comments.