Microsoft to Close All Retail Stores in Canada
By Simon Hung
June 26, 2020Microsoft will be permanently closing their physical retail stores worldwide, including all seven Microsoft Store locations in Canada.
In a press release issued June 26, the tech giant attributed the closures to a shift in strategy, as Microsoft will focus on retail through their digital channels and continue to sell products at third-party retailers like Best Buy and Staples.
Microsoft opened their first dedicated retail store in 2009 and operate over 100 stores worldwide, mostly in the United States with smaller presences in Australia, Canada, Puerto Rico and the United Kingdom. All Microsoft Store locations have been closed since late-March due to COVID-19.
According to The Verge, Microsoft had initially planned to close their retail stores in 2021, but the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated their plan and all stores are expected to close by the end of this year. Four locations – London, New York, Redmond and Sydney – will be re-configured into Microsoft experience centres that will not sell products.
The first Microsoft Store in Canada was opened in Toronto's Yorkdale Shopping Centre in November 2012, with more locations opening in later years in Alberta (Calgary, Edmonton), British Columbia (Burnaby, Vancouver) and Ontario (Mississauga, Toronto Eaton Centre).
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Just guessing though because that's the only time I go there and most of the people in line with me have been there for the same reason.
"I do enjoy their PR headline: 'Microsoft Store announces new approach to retail.' The new approach: not doing retail."
Their December days of deals were pretty good. Remember lining up for free GCs etc.
Also when they opened in Calgary they had a very very very very very long line up.... lots of doorbusters. I got the $99 Venue 8 Pro.
The store was so packed you couldn't literally move! Imagine that in today's covid times!
I read somewhere MS never expected any profit from their retail stores, it was a marketing expense for them.
I hope they will expand their presence in bestbuy stores maybe? Their products are very good these days, much better than what Google can come up with!
Will miss them.
Simon in conjunction with Authentic Brands to bid for Brooks Brothers
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Just remembered: the food court was at the end of the fourth leg.
Maybe now they'll offer the best deals online too so the rest of us can get them.
Same concept. Sears, The Bay, Zellers, and Safeway for me. Obviously years ago since Zellers is gone and so is the Target that replaced it. I'm not even sure what's there now.
Is Coquitlam Centre that bad? I don't really go to malls that often.
But like everything MS touches, it turns into a sack of poo.
Amazon warehouse?
No word of a lie I'm pretty sure that a mall where I used to live used to be like 12% jewelry stores.
The "center" of a + shaped mall had 4 jewelry stores facing each other. Then each arm had another 1-2.
I believe one of them has also put an offer to acquire JC Penney. See link below.
https://www.pymnts.com/news/retail/2020 ... -jcpenney/
A private equity firm is making an offer to buy JC Penneys. Some of these private equity firms with cash on hand will be scavenging for some good deals. The US 'may ' be forced into another shutdown given the spike in cases. Even if open, customers may not go to malls if cases spike. If this happens, it will be the death for many more retailers.