Microsoft’s Experience Centers are as close to physical retail as the company will go… for now
Microsoft’s retail game isn’t dead; it’s just barely alive.
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What you need to know
Even though Microsoftended its retail operationsback in 2020, a few physical stores lived on and were transformed into “Experience Centers.” They’re located in NYC, Redmond (Washington), London, and Sydney, Australia. And now, they’ll be selling physical goods just like the old retail Microsoft Stores did.
As reported byThe Verge, the NYC, London, and Sydney locations will start selling products on July 1. This won’t be your sneaky way to score anXbox Series Xsince that product won’t be available at Experience Centers until shortages die down, but other Xbox goodies will be on sale, as will Surface devices and related products.
However, don’t think these storefront additions signify anything major. You won’t be able to order items online for in-store pickup with this new change, so Microsoft’s inclusion of product selling in its Experience Centers seems targeted solely at scoring a few extra bucks from people already visiting.
Who knows what the future may hold, though. If items fly off the shelves at these Experience Centers and the pandemic fades into the sunset, perhaps physical retail will become viable for Microsoft once again.
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Robert Carnevale is the News Editor for Windows Central. He’s a big fan of Kinect (it lives on in his heart), Sonic the Hedgehog, and the legendary intersection of those two titans, Sonic Free Riders. He is the author ofCold War 2395. Have a useful tip? Send it to robert.carnevale@futurenet.com.
