Microsoft may open its retail store in London

Here’s where

In a bid to foray into the UK and European market, Microsoft is planning to open its flagship retail store here in the heart of London. The software giant is reportedly in talks to secure a building at Oxford Circus, just a minute away from the Apple store. With this move, Microsoft will be adding one more store to its 106 stores in the US, 8 in Canada, and one in Australia and Puerto Rico respectively.

This isn’t the first time the reports have created so much excitement. There were similar talks in 2013 (and also in 2015) about the company opening its store in the UK after registering its own limited company. Media reports had then suggested that Microsoft could not secure the building it wanted, and so it had to shelve its plans.

This move of the software giant is a signal of its increased interest in its hardware operations and in promoting its consumer-facing image, reports suggest.