Opinion: Will Microsoft Oxford Circus be Apple Lite?

The arrival of an Apple store in any city, anywhere, is always a big deal. The same is true of a Microsoft store, although the Washington state technology giant has far fewer outposts than its Californian rival.

Now news comes that it will set up shop in the building that is currently home to Benetton at Oxford Circus. This is a high-profile site, and just a few doors south along Regent Street lies one of the world’s most profitable Apple stores.

If Microsoft wanted to make a statement of intent, it could hardly have chosen a better place in which to do so.

There is a precedent for this, however: New York.

For years, there has been an Apple flagship at the point on Fifth Avenue where it meets Central Park, and its distinctive glass cube acts as an above-ground beacon for the subterranean store is a local landmark.

Then in October 2015 Microsoft opened a multilevel flagship store just a few blocks down, and tech fans piled in to have a look.

The reaction was not entirely positive, with the phrase ‘Apple Lite’ quickly gaining currency.

“The challenge that lies ahead for Microsoft is to create a store that is bonded to the brand, internally and externally”

To an extent, this was justified. It was hard not to compare the dark wood tables on which much of the merchandise was displayed to the sleek, lighter-coloured wooden tables in the Apple store.

And, uncannily, Microsoft had opted for a glass staircase at the back of its emporium, something that is a feature of its rival’s store.

After this, all bets were off, with a floor where those keen on such things could play Minecraft, a space for business meetings and, on the top floor, the chance to play golf virtually or drive a Formula One-style car; the latter being part of ‘the Dell experience’.

Brand recognition

While all of this was fine, it lacked the sense of being a consistent whole and there was the feeling that each floor was different and, importantly, that it was not united by the Microsoft flag.

In consequence, if the ‘remove the name’ test were applied to this store, it wouldn’t be entirely unfair to say that the shopper could be anywhere. The same is not true of Apple stores. The look is instantly recognisable.

The challenge that lies ahead for Microsoft, therefore, is to create a store that is bonded to the brand, internally and externally.

On current reckoning, this looks like a tall order. The site is premium, the store needs to be so as well.