First flagshipstore Microsoft in NY?

Microsoft is in negotiations to open its first ever New York City retail store near Apple store on Fifth Ave., sources told the Daily News.

For Microsoft a store on Fifth Avenue just a few blocks from Apple would certainly be interesting for both competitors.  The deal, at 677 Fifth Ave. near 53rd St., would give Microsoft a splashy presence on the top retail corridor in the country and put it just a stone’s throw from its biggest rival Apple’s iconic glass cube store.

Rents for ground floor stores on prime Fifth Ave., seems to be the priciest in the nation and have been topping $3,500 per square foot in recent deals.

Spokespersons for Microsoft and for the landlord, Asian conglomerate King Fook, were also unavailable.

For its part, Microsoft has a track record of setting up shop near Apple stores, where it can go head to head with its competitor at close proximity. It has reportedly used that tactic numerous times at its Palo Alto outposts.

The company last flirted with New York retail in 2012, when it opened a temporary pop-up store in Times Square for the holidays. It’s been on the hunt for a more permanent home since then.

Source: NY Daily News