14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has just announced that its very first flagship store beyond the borders of the United States would open its doors in Australia, as the company is willing to expand its retail network in more countries across the world.
In an announcement released today, Pip Marlow, managing director, Microsoft Australia, revealed that the new store would be located at Westfield Sydney on Pitt Street Mall and will provide access to the very latest Microsoft products, including Windows, Surface tablets, Office, and Windows Phone handsets.
Just like all the other stores across the United States, it will also host the Answer Desk, a dedicated service offered by Microsoft that puts you face to face with a company engineer to receive support and answers for your questions regarding its products.
“Much more than a store”
With this first step beyond the United States borders, Microsoft says that it’s aiming not only to make its products available to more people in the world, but also to get deeply involved in local communities.
The new Sydney store, for example, can also get information on how to remain safe while browsing the web, while local staff will donate volunteer hours and host community events.
“It will embody the world class innovation that you have come to expect from Microsoft and be a space where consumers – from teens who love gaming to parents who want to ensure their families are safe online, to small business owners looking for guidance – can visit and learn how to make the most of their technology, so they can make the most of every moment,” Marlow said.
Until now, it was believed that Microsoft would be opening its first non-US flagships store in London, but Europe doesn’t seem to be on Redmond expansion map for now.
But with today’s announcement, the software giant makes the very first step towards an expansion that should have been done a long time ago, so let’s just hope that more store openings would be announced soon.
Microsoft now has 110 physical stores in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico, 17 store-in-store locations in China, and sells products through its online stores in 189 countries across the globe.