Microsoft to close all authorized offline stores in China

The booth of Microsoft during an expo in Shanghai. (Provided to China Daily)

The U.S. tech company Microsoft Corp said in a statement to China Daily on Monday that it decided to consolidate its channels in the Chinese mainland market, as part of its ongoing evaluation of retail strategies to meet evolving customer needs.

The comments came after posts on social media platforms recently revealed that Microsoft is set to close all authorized offline stores nationwide in China, opting to maintain only its official online store and flagship store on JD.com.

In a statement to China Daily, Microsoft said the company has decided to consolidate its channels in the Chinese mainland market. Despite these changes, customers can continue to access Microsoft's comprehensive range of consumer products and services through retail partners and Microsoft.com.

Analysts attribute this decision to a global strategic adjustment concerning Microsoft's Surface devices.