Microsoft to open its first retail store in Europe

The US-based technology giant, Microsoft, will be opening its first European retail store in London, UK. 

Set to open on 11 July, the store will be located in London’s Oxford Circus and will span across 21,932sqft. 

London will be the third location for Microsoft’s physical stores, after Sydney and New York City, CNBC reported. 

“This is our very first foray into Europe, and we couldn’t be more pleased to be in London,” stated Chris Capossela, Chief Marketing Officer at Microsoft. 

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“The Surface hardware that you see all throughout the store, that’s going to be a big big seller.” 

“There’s no doubt that a physical store is actually very good for choosing physical products and that’s part of why we’re here.” 

The store will be located near Apple’s flagship shop on Regent Street. The news follows the increasing number of technology firms expanding to retail stores, including Amazon’s plan to introduce 3,000 cashier-less grocery shops by 2021. 

“Primary locations like Oxford Street, where there’s sustainable levels of footfall, where the experience is much more than retail, is one of the crucial ingredients for success,” stated Richard Lim, CEO of Retail Economic, the research company.