One of Nokia's former stores will be rebranded under Microsoft

Microsoft has often been criticized for its US-centric approach and the general absence of retail locations outside of North America, but it looks like the company is finally addressing some of these issues. Microsoft is planning to put its own brand on more than 15,000 ex-Nokia stores around the world.

The Economic Times of India is reporting that while opening the first ‘Microsoft Priority Reseller’ store in Gurgaon, India, the company detailed its plans to increase its retail presence around the world. By rebranding the thousands of Nokia stores that it acquired last year, Microsoft will finally be ensuring that new consumers have a chance to try out the company’s products.

There will be two types of stores around the world: 'Microsoft Priority Reseller' and 'Microsoft Mobile Seller'. The first of those will essentially be a regular Microsoft Store offering Lumia devices, Xbox consoles, Office products and so on. The Mobile Sellers on the other hand will be store-in-store locations inside of multi-brand retail outlets.

Microsoft recently announced it would rebrand nearly 100 stores in Brazil by the end of the year but that pales in comparison to the over 9000 locations that are planned for India. Of course, other countries will also follow suit in the coming months but each region will have its own timetable and strategy.

Source: Economic Times of India | Image via Timreview.ca