????微軟的紐約旗艦店本月開張在即，它可能需要向蘋果學習幾招成功秘訣。

????10月26日星期一，微軟的首家旗艦店將在紐約第五大道盛大開張。這家旗艦店已經(jīng)籌備多年，獨占5層樓，使用面積超過2.2萬平方英尺。微軟聲稱，這是一家“了解、體驗和購買微軟及合作伙伴的產(chǎn)品和服務(wù)的頂級店面?！彼鼘㈥惲形④浖癙C合作廠商的一系列產(chǎn)品，還設(shè)有用于提供店內(nèi)技術(shù)支持的咨詢臺。一座社區(qū)影院方便顧客了解最新產(chǎn)品。另外，這家店“到處都配備沉浸式的視頻墻?！?/p>

????微軟對零售并不陌生。實際上，該公司已經(jīng)在多個國家開設(shè)了共計66家零售店。不過，這家紐約門店卻是微軟的第一家旗艦店，旨在向消費者展示微軟世界的一切。它可能也是微軟聯(lián)系顧客的最重要的途徑之一。

????美國投資銀行Piper Jaffray的分析師吉尼·穆恩斯特認為：“隨著PC銷量和銷售PC的巨型零售商同時縮水，微軟非常有必要采用一種新的方式與消費者建立聯(lián)系，尤其是鑒于消費者正在涌向新的產(chǎn)品類別——比如‘二合一’設(shè)備。同時微軟也要繼續(xù)創(chuàng)新。我認為，公司自有的零售店是展示新產(chǎn)品的一種方式。它還增加了一種實際存在感，從而加強了消費者與企業(yè)進行聯(lián)系的能力?！?/p>

????說到通過零售與消費者建立聯(lián)系，大概沒有哪家公司比蘋果做得更好了。蘋果已經(jīng)在全世界開設(shè)了460多家零售店，早已成為電子消費品零售業(yè)務(wù)應(yīng)該怎樣設(shè)計和運作的黃金標準。蘋果零售店的設(shè)計很獨特，歡迎廣大消費者試用產(chǎn)品，但從不催促他們購買，店內(nèi)員工的專業(yè)知識也非常豐富。

????這二者的組合使得蘋果成為全球最成功的零售商。研究機構(gòu)eMarketer今年3月表示，在2014年年底，蘋果零售店每平方英尺的空間能夠創(chuàng)造4798.82美元的收益。奢侈品珠寶品牌蒂凡尼排在第二位，其每平方英尺店面的銷售收入只有3132.20美元。

????eMarketer的零售分析師約拉姆·烏姆瑟爾指出：“蘋果零售店從設(shè)計上就讓人們更加認為蘋果產(chǎn)品是世界上設(shè)計得最好、最時尚的消費產(chǎn)品。蘋果在店面設(shè)計上使用了大量細節(jié)，使其產(chǎn)品達到最好的展示效果，并展現(xiàn)同樣的極簡主義美學。同時它也使人們加強了蘋果產(chǎn)品是‘買得起的奢侈品’這一理念。”

????專家表示，蘋果產(chǎn)品成功的秘訣正是微軟必須學習的。烏姆瑟爾表示，微軟必須從蘋果身上學習的一點是，“零售戰(zhàn)略要與產(chǎn)品戰(zhàn)略匹配?！盜DC公司項目副總裁湯姆·麥納利指出，微軟旗艦店要想成功，就要向蘋果學習，讓零售店顯得“誘人而整潔”。他補充道，營造“好的體驗”要比專注于提高銷量更重要。穆恩斯特則認為，微軟要想獲得成功，可以吸取蘋果的“店內(nèi)技術(shù)支持、進店接待、在線預(yù)約和免費講座”等創(chuàng)意。

????穆恩斯特還建議道：“在店內(nèi)重點展示你最獨特的產(chǎn)品?！彼€談到了蘋果在這方面的做法?！耙宄阕羁粗氐氖鞘裁??！?/p>

????專家們表示，向蘋果學習的同時，不依賴傳統(tǒng)的零售手段來銷售科技產(chǎn)品也是很重要的。蘋果已經(jīng)找到了一種讓科技產(chǎn)品的零售變得非常吸引眼球的方法，它的銷量隨之飆升。傳統(tǒng)的消費電子產(chǎn)品零售門店的狀態(tài)，通常都離蘋果有很大差距。

????福雷斯特公司分析師J.P.剛德爾表示：“傳統(tǒng)的消費電子產(chǎn)品零售方式已經(jīng)被打破了：像百思買那種傳統(tǒng)的銷售方法，只是無差異展示，銷售過程提供的產(chǎn)品知識也是有限的，總體的購買體驗比較差?！?/p>

????剛德爾表示，微軟可能已經(jīng)意識到了這個問題，并且正在規(guī)劃自己的路線，試圖控制人們對自家產(chǎn)品和品牌的看法。他認為，微軟目前的零售店雖然并未提供“旗艦”的購物體驗，不過它也讓微軟學到了很多關(guān)于零售和顧客的經(jīng)驗。顧客想要什么、以及他們怎樣看待零售體驗等方面的數(shù)據(jù)，最終會對微軟的旗艦店起到幫助。

????剛德爾表示：“過去幾年，微軟已經(jīng)開始緩慢而有目的性地擴展它的零售店版圖，紐約旗艦店也是該戰(zhàn)略的自然延伸。在零售方面，微軟也不是從零開始，這幾年來總結(jié)的經(jīng)驗也將幫助這家零售店獲得更大的成功?！?/p>

????除剛德爾之外，其他人也認為微軟的旗艦店將獲得成功。雖然微軟并未透露它究竟為第五大道旗艦店投入了多少資金（另一家澳大利亞旗艦店將于下月開張），但很多專家都表示，微軟有較大的幾率能夠成功地營造出高端的旗艦店體驗，促進公司繁榮發(fā)展。

????麥納利表示：“最終，我認為它的關(guān)鍵是要為微軟產(chǎn)品創(chuàng)造更高的品牌親和度。我認為微軟零售店已經(jīng)在這方面取得了成功，而且也將繼續(xù)取得成功?！?/p>

????關(guān)于微軟旗艦店能否成功，Piper Jaffray的另一位分析師凱瑟琳·艾格伯特更加樂觀。當問到這家是否會成功時，她的回答簡潔明了：“會?！保ㄘ敻恢形木W(wǎng)）

????譯者：樸成奎

????審校：任文科

????When Microsoft’s flagship store in New York City opens later this month, it may need to take some cues from Apple to be successful.

????Microsoft MSFT 0.31% will open its first flagship store on Fifth Avenue in New York on Monday, Oct. 26. The store, which has been in development for several years, spans five floors and is over 22,000 square feet. Microsoft says that it will be “a premier venue to learn about, experience and shop for the products and services from Microsoft and our partners. “The stores will feature a range of Microsoft and PC vendor products, as well as an Answer Desk for in-store tech support. There will also be a Community Theater to learn about new products and “immersive video walls throughout” the store.

????Microsoft is no stranger to retail. In fact, the company now has 66 retail stores across several countries. The New York location, however, is the company’s first flagship store designed to showcase everything the Microsoft world has to offer. It may also be one of the most important ways for Microsoft to connect with customers.

????“With PC sales and big box retailers who sell PCs both shrinking, it is imperative that there be a means for Microsoft to connect with consumers, particularly as they move into new categories, such as 2-in-1 devices, and continue to innovate in existing ones,” says Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster. “I think company-owned retail stores are a way to showcase new products and add a physical presence that improves the ability of consumers to connect with the company.”

????Arguably no company has been better at connecting with customers through retail than Apple AAPL 1.83% . As the tech giant has expanded its retail presence around the world to more than 460 stores, it has become the gold standard for how retail should look and act. Apple’s stores are unique in their design, open to consumers who want to try out products without being pushed to buy, and staffed with knowledgeable employees.

????That combination has helped Apple become the world’s most successful retailer. In March, research firm eMarketer revealed that at the end of 2014, Apple was generating $4,798.82 per square foot of space in its stores. Its closest competitor, luxury jeweler Tiffany & Co. TIF -0.17% , could only muster $3,132.20 per square foot.

????“[Apple] stores were designed to reinforce the idea that Apple products are the world’s best-designed, best-styled consumer goods,” says eMarketer retail analyst Yoram Wurmser. “A huge amount of detail went into designing the stores to best showcase Apple products and to reflect the same minimalist aesthetic. The stores also reinforce the notion that Apple products are attainable luxury.”

????The secret sauce that goes into Apple products is something Microsoft must learn from, experts say. Wurmser, for instance, says Microsoft must learn from Apple that its “retail strategy needs to align with the product strategy.” IDC program vice president Tom Mainelli says success in Microsoft’s flagship stores will mean borrowing from Apple the concept of making stores “inviting and uncluttered.” He added that delivering “a great experience” is more important than focusing on driving sales. Munster believes Microsoft could benefit from taking Apple’s ideas of “in-store tech support, a host for check-in, online reservations, and workshops” to be successful.

????“Highlight your most unique products in the store,” Munster suggests, referring to Apple’s own efforts in that regard. “Make it clear what’s top of mind.”

????Learning from Apple and not relying on traditional retail methods to sell technology is critical, experts say. Apple has found a way to make technology retail compelling and its sales have subsequently skyrocketed. Traditional consumer electronics stores, however, are in a much different spot.

????“Consumer electronics retail is broken: selling products at traditional venues like Best Buy BBY 0.68% leads to undifferentiated displays, sales associates with limited product knowledge, and a poor overall buying experience,” Forrester analyst J.P. Gownder says.

????Microsoft may realize that, Gownder says, and is charting its own course to take control over how people view its products and its brand. He argues that Microsoft’s current stores, which don’t offer the same “flagship” experience, have taught the company much of what it needs to know about retail and customers. The collection of that data on what customers want and how they view the retail experience will ultimately help the company’s flagship stores, Gownder says.

????“Microsoft has expanded its Microsoft Stores slowly and intentionally over the past few years,” he says. “The New York City flagship is a natural extension of that strategy, and the years of retail experience gained will make it much more successful than it would have been if it came out of the blue.”

????Gownder isn’t alone in believing that Microsoft’s flagship store effort will prove successful. While the company is investing untold amounts of cash in a Fifth Avenue store (as well as another flagship in Australia that’s slated to open next month), many experts say the chances of Microsoft succeeding in delivering a high-end flagship experience to help its company’s prospects are high.

????“Ultimately, I think it’s about creating more brand affinity for Microsoft products,” Mainelli says. “I think the stores have been, and will continue to be, successful at that.”

????Katherine Egbert, another analyst at Piper Jaffray, put a finer point on predictions for Microsoft’s flagship store success. When asked if the company would be successful, her answer was concise and to the point: “Yes.”