Microsoft has finally opened its first Australian retail store in Sydney Australia on Wednesday, Nov.11. The store can be found at the center of the Pitt Street Mall, and it is a bit unique when compared to other stores elsewhere.
The software giant is encouraging customers to come to the store and hang out, along with checking out what the store has to offer. Folks can also get help with all their Microsoft product and services directly from the store.
This store is Microsoft's first outside of North America, and the company is using it to showcase its newest products. These products include the Surface Pro 4, Surface Book, Microsoft Band and various Lumia smartphones.
The Xbox One will also be on show, and we expect the first set of Windows 10 Mobile handsets will be too, when they become ready in December of this year.
Since many consumers experience Microsoft services on various systems such as an old HP laptop or even an Apple device, the store will have a spot called the "Answer Desk." This is the spot to get technical help with hardware not made by Microsoft, and help with services on non-Windows devices.
Microsoft's head of international retail stores, Travis Walter, says the store will turn no one away, so it should not matter the type of device a customer has, Microsoft will help as long as it is related to its products and or services.
Things get even more interesting when we realize that this is Microsoft's first flagship store where customers can interact with all products untethered. It means that persons can pick up a Surface Book and walk around with it to get a feel for how well it works in the hand among other things.
Customers will also be able to compare products side-by-side, something most similar stores do not allow due to security concerns.
What Microsoft is doing here is nothing short of impressive. We can only hope the same experience will be brought to stores in the United States.
