Microsoft Stores definitely weren’t as well known as ones from a certain one of their competitors, but they have nonetheless been around for a while. However, it appears they won’t be around for much longer, as Microsoft has announced today that they are permanently closing all of their stores worldwide.
The company claims that they will be moving all of their retail employees to work at their corporate offices and remotely, with sales, training and support provided. This is being done in an effort to focus more on their online storefront, which has been much more successful for them. The company said the following:
“Our sales have grown online as our product portfolio has evolved to largely digital offerings, and our talented team has proven success serving customers beyond any physical location. We are grateful to our Microsoft Store customers and we look forward to continuing to serve them online and with our retail sales team at Microsoft corporate locations.”
This won’t be the end of Microsoft’s physical store presence entirely, as they also mentioned they are working on reimagined “Experience Centers.” These will open at some point in the future in just a handful of locations, which are New York City, London, Sydney, and Washington.
Considering the fact that everything has been pushing more towards an all-digital future, this isn’t the biggest of surprises. The coronavirus pandemic has only sped up this process, as remote work is becoming a necessity now more than ever. We’ll keep you posted as Microsoft announces their next move with their upcoming Experience Centers in the near future.
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