With Microsoft intending to focus more on their online storefront which is Microsoft.com, the tech giant has announced last Friday that it will permanently close all of their physical retail stores. Some locations, specifically Microsoft Experience Centers in New York, London, Sydney, and in Redmond, Washington (the corporate headquarters of the company), will still continue to operate, but they will no longer be selling products.
Microsoft has operated physical retail stores for about a decade. At its peak, the company had 116 locations around the world, including 106 in the United States. Microsoft says that there will be no layoffs as a result of the decision.
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“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,” said Microsoft Corporate VP David Porter in a statement. Porter detailed the shift in strategy in a post published on LinkedIn.
This isn’t the first time Microsoft has shifted strategy on its physical retail locations. About a year ago, the company closed down its specialty kiosks, which were typically found in malls. The decision to close these small spots was made, according to the company, to focus on its full-scale Microsoft Stores.
What do you think of the company’s decision?
(Image Credit: Microsoft Corporation/ Wikimedia Commons)