It’s an exciting time for Microsoft! Our stores are no exception, as we near the opening of our first-ever flagship store in New York City, followed by our first international flagship location in Sydney.
Today, we get one step closer to expanding our direct, face-to-face connection with Microsoft fans and are happy to share grand opening dates for both Microsoft flagship stores. Microsoft on Fifth Ave. and 53rd St. will open on Monday, Oct. 26, at noon ET and Microsoft at Westfield Sydney on Pitt Street Mall will open on Thursday, Nov. 12, at noon AET.
These flagship stores have been in the making for six years. When we architected our retail plans, we committed to providing exceptional choice, value and service, and making a positive impact on the communities in which we operate. These flagship stores will deliver on these commitments, offering premier shopping destinations.
During the past several months, both flagship store sites have transformed into cutting-edge spaces that represent the best of Microsoft – we can’t wait to open our doors to those who work, live, visit and shop in these areas. Our largest stores to-date, the New York City and Sydney flagships will include elements that our customers have grown to know and love such as technology you can try from Microsoft and our partners, the Answer Desk – a one-stop shop for technical questions, troubleshooting and repairs regardless of device or where it was purchased, the Community Theater – a space where customers can learn how to use Microsoft’s latest and most popular products in their everyday work and lives, and immersive video walls throughout. These stores are being built for you.
In New York City, since announcing our first flagship store, we’ve made significant progress on construction at 677 Fifth Ave. We are eager to open our doors to those in Manhattan. The five-floor, 22,269 square foot location will be a premier venue to learn about, experience and shop for the products and services from Microsoft and our partners. Our store associate team comes from New York City’s distinct and diverse five boroughs as well as surrounding areas, and speak more than 19 languages.
In Sydney, as Pip Marlow, managing director of Microsoft Australia, shared, we are excited to launch our second flagship store. Located at Westfield Sydney on Pitt Street Mall at 188 Pitt St., the flagship will be more than 6,000 square feet/500 square meters and will span two floors. The store includes retail sales space as well as an interactive area to serve local customers and business, with staff originating from more than 11 countries and speaking more than 21 languages.
We are going to celebrate the New York and Sydney communities in a big way. For starters, we will donate more than $5 million in software and technology grants to select local organizations, as part of our company mission to help people achieve more in their lives. Our grand opening festivities in each city will recognize the great work done by these organizations and we will share more details on our community celebrations soon.
Our team is hard at work to ensure we provide outstanding service to everyone who enters these stores. We are thankful for the support of the people of New York City and Sydney, who have been working with and welcoming us into these communities.
This continues to be an exciting time for our retail business, but more importantly, for the communities and our customers. We hope you’ll join us for our grand opening events.
David