It's official: Microsoft is opening a flagship store in London

Earlier today, we reported that Microsoft could be opening up its first store in the United Kingdom. Microsoft just made the rumours official, announcing its plans for opening up a new flagship store in London. The Redmond-based company is planning to open a flagship store on Regent Street at Oxford Circus, where Microsoft fans and customers will be able to checkout the company’s latest products.

Microsoft Store in London will be similar to the company’s flagship stores in other cities like its NYC store. Along with its latest hardware and software, customers will be able to checkout products from its OEM partners and other companies. In addition to that, Microsoft will also offer a range of different opportunities to customers where they can learn to code, try out the Xbox One or HoloLens, or play around with a latest Microsoft technology.

“We couldn’t be happier to be opening a flagship store in the heart of central London at Oxford Circus, where two of the world’s most iconic shopping streets meet. We know our customers and fans, whether they are from London, the broader U.K. or just visiting, will love our bold plans for the space. This will be so much more than just a great place to experience all that is possible with Microsoft, but a real hub for the community where we’ll be bringing to life our passion for helping people explore their creativity through an ambitious program of workshops and training along with moments that work to unite the community,” said Cindy Rose, the head of Microsoft UK.

Rumours have suggested that Microsoft is soon going to sign a 10-year lease at 255-259 Regent Street, where the company will be replacing the current United Colours of Benetton store. The store will be just on the side of the Oxford Circus station, and the Apple Store is just a 1-minute walk away from there, too. Anyway, here’s how the current United Colours of Benetton store looks like:

There aren’t any specific dates as to when the store will be open, but things still seem to be in the early stages of planning so it’ll likely take months or possibly a year to open. I personally have been waiting for Microsoft to open an official store in London for years, so this is certainly very exciting to see!