Microsoft UK retail stores 'to open in 2013' According to the Financial Times, Microsoft is in talks with landlords in the UK about potential locations for the new stores, following the phenomenal success of the retail branding model invented by Apple. Apple's stores are as much about "building the brand" and advocating for its products as part of the lifestyle of its consumers as they are for simply selling iPhones and iPads. Microsoft has an added complication in any retail venture in that it sells devices developed by separate firms that run Windows Phone and Windows 8 software, such as the Nokia Lumia 920 and the HTC Windows Phone 8X. PCs running Windows software with separate hardware manufacturers are another consideration, though Microsoft's announcement of a set-top box to rival Apple TV and its own-branded Surface tablet signal a significant move into hardware that may hint at a Windows-only future for its devices and software. A flagship store in Times Square, New York City, is dedicated wholly to the Surface tablet, making no mention of other manufacturers who are also making Windows 8 devices. An end-of year review into existing store performance will dictate the scope of any incursion into the European market, which will take stock of the success of permanent and "pop-up" stores across North America, including in the US, Canada and Puerto Rico. Much like Apple's Genius Bar, Microsoft stores in the US offer free classes and training for its software and how it runs, familiarising app-happy Android and Apple users with the "tile" format of its devices.