Dive Summary:
- Microsoft plans to continue its efforts to expand into brick-and-mortar retail on a global scale, increasing its number of permanent locations and temporary specialty stores.
- Microsoft CEO Kevin Turner revealed at the Microsoft’s Worldwide Partner Conference held on Wednesday that the company will have 101 physical stores “this time next year.”
- Microsoft currently operates a total of 75 physical retail locations throughout the U.S. and has announced it will open its first location in mainland China by 2014.
From the article:
The software maker currently uses its range of retail stores, which are primarily located in the US, to push Windows 8 PCs, its own Surface tablet, Xbox, and Windows Phones. Microsoft originally opened its first retail store in late 2009 just ahead of the Windows 7 release, and the company launched as many as seven stores in June alone.
