All eyes on Australia as Sydney gets first Microsoft flagship store in APAC

Microsoft has chosen Sydney as the home for the company’s first flagship store outside of North America.

Microsoft has chosen Sydney as the home for the company’s first flagship store outside of North America, positioning itself alongside fellow industry rivals in the city.

Only a stones throw way from Apple and Samsung stores in Sydney CBD, the outlet will be located at Westfield Sydney on Pitt Street Mall, as the company continues to ramp up its investment Down Under.

The store will have more than 6000 square feet of retail space over two floors, on levels two (street level) and three, next to Sephora and the mall’s main entrance

“It will provide an opportunity to experience the best of Microsoft products like Windows PCs, Surface devices, Windows Phones, Xbox One, Office and more in an innovative and vibrant setting,” says Pip Marlow, Managing Director, Microsoft Australia.

In addition, Marlow says the store will feature Answer Desk – a one-stop shop for questions, troubleshooting, repairs and support for all Microsoft software and hardware.

“But this will be much more than a store,” Marlow adds. “It will embody the world class innovation that you have come to expect from Microsoft and be a space where consumers can visit and learn how to make the most of their technology, so they can make the most of every moment.”

According to Marlow, the store will complement Microsoft’s “excellent retail partner network” and be a “natural extension” of the company’s existing online store.

“This is a significant development for our business locally as well as globally and is the latest in a series of Microsoft investments in Australia,” Marlow adds.

In a press release, the company said, "The location will offer best-in-class products like Windows 8 PCs, Surface devices, Windows Phones, Xbox One and Office... The Microsoft store team will regularly donate volunteer hours, host community events, offer training workshops, support science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education and build deeper relationships with our customers, one person at a time.

Last October, the tech giant opened its Microsoft Australia Azure Geos and just a few weeks ago bought Office 365 and Dynamics CRM Online to its local data centres.

At present, Microsoft currently has more than 110 physical stores in the US, Canada and Puerto Rico, 17 store-in-store locations in China, online stores in 189 countries, and now a flagship store in Australia.

“Announcing a Microsoft flagship store in Sydney – which will join our forthcoming flagship Manhattan store – marks yet another important milestone in expanding our commitment to customers globally," adds David Porter, Microsoft corporate vice president, worldwide retail stores.

"We have built an online presence across 189 countries, and we will see aggressive online expansion over the next year in markets such as South Africa, Thailand and Korea including selling Microsoft hardware devices such as Surface and Xbox One.

"Additionally, we will open physical store locations across North America in the coming months. This continues to be an exciting time for our business, but more importantly, our customers – and we’re just getting started."

Microsoft has yet to reveal exact opening dates for the store.

The new has also been welcomed across the Tasman in New Zealand, with David Rayner, Microsoft New Zealand’s Director of Consumer Channels Group adding; “This is great news for this region, and especially for Kiwis in Australia who will be able to access the MS Store experience.

"However, there are no plans to open something similar in New Zealand at this time."

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Tags MicrosoftappssoftwarehardwareWindowsPCXboxComponentsWindows PhoneSurface

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