Microsoft Confirms Toronto Retail Store Opening at Yorkdale Mall By Year End

iPhone in Canada’s visit to the Microsoft Store at University Village in Seattle

When Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer wasn’t dropping the gauntlet against Apple at their annual Worldwide Partners Conference (held in Toronto), they confirmed a retail store would open at upscale Yorkdale Mall in Toronto before the end of this year, as reported by the FP Tech Desk. Microsoft chief operating officer Kevin Turner all but confirmed earlier reports in February a Microsoft Store would be heading to Canada.

According to Matt Hartley from the Financial Post, the 6,845 square foot store will start hiring 50 employees immediately to run the store:

Microsoft Canada president Max Long said Microsoft Stores are wholly owned and operated by the company and that the staff at the Toronto store will be considered Microsoft employees.

This is the opposite of Canada’s first Samsung retail store that had its grand opening earlier today in Burnaby, BC, where its services are run by third parties.

Long continued to resonate Microsoft’s commitment to Canada by opening up a retail here, one of the two only international locations (the other being in Puerto Rico). As for the look of the store (this will sound familiar)?

“It’s going to be a very clean, uncorrupted and very fresh store environment,” Mr. Long said in an interview.

[…]

“I’ve seen the stores in the U.S. and I’ve had the opportunity to shop in the stores on many occasions, and to have this presence in Canada will be very exciting for us and for consumers as well,”

The Microsoft Store plans to ‘maximize the holiday season’, which is what we’ve heard from earlier reports that it will open in time for Christmas. It will put Microsoft to the test as they are set to capitalize on their latest tablet, the Surface, which is set to be released…sometime in the near future.

So, there you have it Toronto. You have an Apple Store at Yorkdale, and now an upcoming Microsoft Store. I bet you now want a Samsung Store too, right?