All Microsoft Stores Worldwide Will Be Closed Permanently

Over the last weekend, tech giant Microsoft announced that it will take a big step back from retail. The company will close all of its Microsoft Store locations around the world for good. It will only keep four stores open.

The tech giant emphasized that there are up to 1.2 billion monthly customers at its Microsoft.com, Xbox, and Windows storefronts across 190 markets. After closing the retail stores, it will focus on online retail moving forward.

The four Microsoft stores that will be kept are in New York, London, Sydney, and the all Redmon campus. The other store locations will all be closed.

This announcement is surprising because as pointed out by The Verge, the tech giant only opened its store in London last year. Before announcing the permanent closure, Microsoft had not re-opened its stores due to the restrictions in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Besides, the company did not say if it will lay off employees following this announcement, but also said that “our commitment to growing and developing careers from this diverse talent pool is stronger than ever.”

In an April blog post, Microsoft described how many of its retail store associates began doing their everyday jobs remotely as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. The firm recently tested a 4-working-day week in Japan and has been paying its employees throughout the pandemic.

In its latest announcement, the computing giant said it will continue its customer service from its corporate facilities or remotely and it will develop the support team in line with its overall mission and objectives.

Microsoft opened its first store in 2009, which is similar to the Apple store in many ways. The stores showcased Surface, Xbox hardware, and PCs from third parties.

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