 |
| Microsoft returns to physical retail |
Microsoft resells products in physical stores. The software giant will begin selling products at its test centers in London, New York and Sydney next month.
Select Microsoft products will be available from July 1st. However, the scarcity of global chips affects the products that can be purchased.
Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S consoles will not initially be available until stock levels improve to meet demand.
Other Xbox-related products come with Surface devices and Microsoft 365 subscriptions.
“Our primary goal in developing the Microsoft Experience Center is to provide our customers with the opportunity to experience our products in person,” said Travis Walter, President of Microsoft Retail.
He added, "We are using these rooms for testing and experimentation and continue to develop experiences based on customer feedback. From July 1, customers will be able to purchase select Microsoft products at locations in New York, London and Sydney."
Last year, shortly after the pandemic began, Microsoft permanently closed 72 retail stores in the United States and around the world.
Microsoft Store:
The company moves store employees to areas where Microsoft business customers are sold, trains, and supports them.
This step does not mean the return of the Microsoft retail stores. In addition, there will be no online ordering or collection from available stores.
Microsoft uses its four centers of expertise to accommodate its business customers. Hence its goal is the ability to purchase items, especially those who visit.
On the flip side, the company announced last June that it was reinventing the Experience Center as part of a change in retail strategy.
Meanwhile, Google's parent company Alphabet announced last month that it will open its first physical retail store in New York this summer, reflecting Apple's approach over the past few decades.
Google has used pop-up stores in the past to promote its products. The company announced that it sells Fitbit Pixel devices, Pixel books, fitness trackers, and Nest smart home devices in retail stores.