Tracing Apple’s footsteps, Microsoft has confirmed plans to open its first brick and mortar retail store outside of North America.
At present Microsoft operates some 110 physical stores, with its retail chain locked to American, Canadian and Puerto Rican locations.
Now, however, the Redmond-based company has revealed plans to open a store in Sydney, Australia.
The store, which will take up residence in Sydney’s Westfield mall, will cover a 6,000 square foot lot. As well as retail space, the store will offer training, workshops and user services.
Scheduled for a grand opening later this year, it is currently unclear if the Sydney Microsoft store will spark a global push of outlets for the Surface Pro 3 maker.
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She added: “It will complement our excellent retail partner network and be a natural extension of our existing online store.
“We will regularly donate volunteer hours, host community events, offer training workshops, support science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and build deeper relationships with our customers, one person at a time.”
Related: Microsoft Lumia 535 review
The second half of the year is set to be a key period for Microsoft, with the Windows 10 release date having reportedly been penciled in for late summer.
The company’s new operating system is set to transcend all platforms, unifying the experience from PC to mobile, via tablets.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.