Microsoft Confirms Fifth Avenue NYC Retail Store

Microsoft (MSFT) confirmed word that it will locate its first-ever Manhattan retail store in one of midtown’s splashiest locations, only a few blocks away from an iconic Fifth Avenue Apple (AAPL) outlet.

The vendor said it will open a flagship retail outlet at 677 Fifth Avenue, an 8,700-square-foot, two-story space owned by Asian conglomerate King Fook. The location was most recently occupied by fashion house Fendi, which vacated the spot last year.

David Porter, Microsoft Worldwide Retail Stores corporate vice president, said the vendor has been searching for the right New York City location for five years and will open the doors of the new store sometime in 2015.

“Today, I am pleased to confirm we have signed a lease to open a flagship store at 677 Fifth Avenue in New York City,” Porter wrote in a blog post. “As our first flagship store, it will serve as the centerpiece of our Microsoft Stores experience. This is a goal we’ve had since day one—we were only waiting for the right location. And now we have it.”

The location at 677 Fifth Avenue near 53rd Street is close to Apple’s famous glass cube store in the 50-story General Motors Building at 767 Fifth Avenue between 58th and 59th streets. The spot Microsoft nabbed is one of the hottest retail areas in the city and among its priciest, commanding some $3,500 a square foot.

Microsoft never has occupied a New York City address with one of its retail stores, lacking a presence in the city since 2012 when it opened a temporary pop-up kiosk for the holidays. Porter said the new location “will be much more than just a Microsoft Store,” with space reserved for Microsoft reps to engage with customers and partners.

Microsoft currently operates 104 retail stores in North America and Puerto Rico with plans to open an additional 10 outlets by the holiday season. By comparison, Apple maintains 259 stores in the United States, according to its store locations web site.

A year ago, Microsoft announced plans to open 600 Windows Stores in an exclusive store-within-a-store arrangement with big box retailer Best Buy (BBY) in North America in its biggest retail expansion to that point.