Microsoft targets Sydney for first flagship outlet outside America

On Wednesday, Microsoft announced it would be opening its first international flagship store in Sydney on Nov. 12. It is the first time the tech giant has planned to shift its store outside of North America.

The Microsoft store in Sydney will be a two-storey building on Pitt Street Mall, which will be launched after the opening of its New York store on Fifth Avenue on Oct. 26. The Sydney branch will have employees from 11 different countries with fluency in 21 different languages.

Microsoft’s Sydney store will have an Answer Desk - similar to Apple’s Genius Bar - where customers will be able to learn how to use the latest products launched by Microsoft.

The company also announced it would be donating more than US$5 million (AU$7 million) to local organisations who specialise in the software and tech sectors. The store will also have a Community Theatre to give customers a chance to be comfortable using Microsoft products.

Microsoft Australia's managing director Pip Marlow said this will go beyond being just a store. “It will embody the world class innovation that you have come to expect from Microsoft and be a space where consumers — from teens who love gaming to parents who want to ensure their families are safe online, to small business owners looking for guidance – can visit and learn how to make the most of their technology, so they can make the most of every moment,” he added.

Marlow said that the Sydney store would not only help customers in operating the devices properly, but it will also volunteer community events, offer training workshops and support STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education.

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