The first thing I noticed walking in to the MS store was that due to the larger variety of OEMs represented there was greater interaction between the store employees and customers asking questions and playing with the hardware (smartphones, tablets, PCs, Xbox) than observed at the Apple store. There was more observable interactivity at the MS store which could be attributed to the relative newness of the MS store as well as the perceived intuitiveness of the Apple products. Why ask questions if you already think you know what you’re doing. 😀 Also having a few Xboxs with Kinects does encourage physical movement. The client mix seemed to be a good mix of local residents and tourists shopping. The store layout was nice but due to the tables being laid out perpendicular to the side walls it was a bit more difficult to move around (the crowding didn’t help matters). In comparison the Apple store has their tables laid out parallel to the walls with wider aisles allowing easier access. Both styles have their merits.. The Apple store allows quicker entry and exit, the MS store will ‘hold’ you there longer (which may help sales).

Due to the proximity of both stores to the high-end ’boutique’ stores, it appeared that the Apple store was simply replicating the surrounding boutique experience and giving it a Computer twist. The MS store in comparison seemed on the outside to complement the surrounding stores and on the inside to be closer to a Best Buy, which may have been their goal seeing as how Best Buy has started up a MS Store-in-store concept. This may simply be an attempt to give a consistent style to match that concept. I have noted that there is one big difference in the MS store where there is an area where up to 5 people can interactively have a short lesson conducted for them. I really didn’t get the feel that MS was trying to copy any part of the Apple store apart from having a dedicated store.. Personally it seems to me that hey both are only extrapolating existing retail models to consumer electronics.

The major difference I think between the stores is the focus.. There is relatively less HW diversity with Apple products which allows them to display their line-up ‘cleanly’.. Also being the only provider of iOS/OS X products, Apple HW has a consistent look. In contrast due to MS having a much more diverse range of products from disparate OEMS to present the store seems to have a bit more ‘congested’ feel.

To wrap up I think both companies made a great decision to have stores in Ala Moana. As the MS store is relatively new (not quite 2 months yet since opening) I expect there will be some fine tuning. The foot traffic at Ala Moana is incredible year round so I’m positive they’ll both do well here. Just some off-topic trivia, the Cheesecake Factory restaurant in Waikiki is now the chain’s most profitable single restaurant in the US. 😀