TOPLINEAfter temporarily closing its Microsoft Stores in March because of the pandemic, the company has decided to make it permanent, announcing Friday that the move will “result in a pre-tax charge of approximately $450 million” which “includes primarily asset write-offs and impairments.”Microsoft will permanently close all its physical stores. The company’s retail team members will serve customers from Microsoft corporate facilities and remotely. Since Microsoft Store locations closed in late March, the company says the team has hosted more than 14,000 online workshops and summer camps and more than 3,000 virtual graduations. It drew parallels to Apple’s retail strategy and store design. Microsoft’s New York store on Fifth Avenue is just blocks away from Apple’s glass cube store.

Source: Forbes June 26, 2020 18:56 UTC