Microsoft eclipsed as Apple plans up to 50 new stores in 2010

by Stevie Smith - Nov 12 2009, 18:05

Redmond-based software behemoth Microsoft Corp. may have recently raised a few eyebrows over at gadget specialist Apple Inc. when it officially threw open the doors of its first walk-in retail store in Arizona during October..

However, while sharing many similarities in terms of stock and service, the steep hill Microsoft will have to climb if it wishes to truly compete with Apple's chain of bricks-and-mortar outlets today became something of a mountain. 

More pointedly, Cupertino-based Apple has announced plans to open between 40 and 50 brand new Apple Store outlets during 2010 as it works to increase customer awareness with regard to its line of consumer electronic devices, such as the iPhone smartphone, iPod Touch, MacBook notebooks and iMac desktops.

Of those new stores, which would take Apple's international allocation to around 330, the gadget giant has indicated that more than half will be situated outside the United States and will include new arrivals in major cities such as London, Paris and Shanghai.

Despite the pressures of global recession, Apple's retail business has continued to perform well, pulling around 46 million store visitors during 2009's third quarter – a year-on-year increase of around seven percent. Apple's stores also brought in $1.87 billion USD of revenue during the same period, the company's best ever quarterly return and a year-on-year jump of nine percent.

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