Fresh off the heels of a successful Microsoft Store unveil in Sydney, Australia, it seems the company may be set to expand its international footprint a bit more. While the Microsoft Store in Australia stands as the only international flagship store right now, Microsoft is rumored to be looking at expanding its UK retail presence utilizing a different strategy.
According to The Register UK, “Microsoft is scouting locations across big cities in the UK with a view to rolling out a “store within a store” concept, according to our sources.”
The ‘store within a store’ approach isn’t a new concept and companies such as Samsung appear to be arguably benefiting from the symbiotic relationship. With a partnership to over 500 hundred Best Buy outlets in the US, the strategy has been arguably successful for Microsoft as well. Retail chains such as Best Buy provide the housing and rental cost for showcasing products, allowing Microsoft to concentrate on delivering a better ‘branded-experience’ to places customer are comfortable going to.
With as much effort as Microsoft has put into its new hardware such as the Surface Book, Surface Pro 4, Microsoft Band 2 and new Lumia, the ‘store in a store’ strategy should help the company direct its narrative much better than it has in the past.
Further reading: Microsoft, Microsoft Store, retail, UK
