Microsoft has made the tough decision to permanently close roughly 99% of its retail Microsoft Store outlets. In a post on LinkedIn, Microsoft corporate VP David Porter announced that the software giant would be shuttering all about four physical stores due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
For the majority of this year, every Microsoft Store had been closed in accordance with local precautions against the virus. It seems that as time has gone on and the pandemic isn’t letting up, it doesn’t make much sense for Microsoft to keep the chains in business. As such, only the New York, London, Sydney, and Redmond locations will reopen once Microsoft is able to do so.
Once every store is 100% closed, Microsoft will shift its business to online storefronts. To accommodate those that are looking for additional help (as would be the case in a retail outlet), Microsoft will be providing 1:1 video conferencing with a sales associate.
The remaining stores are said to be “re-imagined” to provide a more unique experience to customers. I’m not sure what else you could do with a store dedicated to Microsoft hardware and software, but this news is a pretty big shocker. Microsoft has never reached the same kind of cultural impact as Apple, but its stores provided a good counter to the sterile environments of its competition.
Source: LinkedIn
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