Retail team to provide sales, training, and support amid COVID-19 pandemic
Microsoft Corporation’s sales have grown online as its product portfolio has evolved to largely digital offerings, and its talented team has proven success serving customers beyond any physical location. Thus, the Company has announced a strategic change in its retail operations, including closing Microsoft Store physical locations.
Microsoft’s retail team members will continue to serve customers from Microsoft corporate facilities and remotely providing sales, training, and support. Microsoft will continue to invest in its digital storefronts, and stores in Xbox and Windows, reaching more than 1.2 billion people every month in 190 markets.
Commitment over compliance
The closing of Microsoft Store physical locations will result in a pre-tax charge of approximately $450M to be recorded in the current quarter ending June 30, 2020. Since the physical locations closed in March, the retail team has helped small businesses and education customers digitally transform. They have also virtually trained hundreds of thousands of enterprise and education customers on remote work and learning software and helped customers with support calls. The retail team supported communities by hosting more than 14,000 online workshops and summer camps and more than 3,000 virtual graduations.
The Company has also publicized its Forward-looking statements such as increasing focus on cloud-based services, significant investments in products and services, acquisitions, joint ventures, and strategic alliances and more.
Diversity reflects
Speaking over 120 languages, the built teams with unique backgrounds and skills reflect many communities they serve. The Microsoft Store team has a proven track record of attracting, motivating, and developing diverse talent. With significant growth through its digital storefronts, including Microsoft.com, and stores on Xbox and Windows, the company will continue to invest in digital innovation across software and hardware. New services include 1:1 video chat support, online tutorial videos, and virtual workshops with more digital solutions to come.
Microsoft Corporate Vice President David Porter said, “we are energized about the opportunity to innovate in how we engage with all customers, maximize our talent for greatest impact, and most importantly help our valued customers achieve more.”
