<http://schema.org/articleBody>
"Microsoft showed its intention to get serious with hardware sales in China when it opened its Online Store in the country in October last year, and now it is stepping things up after it beefed up its presence on Tmall, China's largest consumer retail site, with a new 'flagship' store.\r\n\r\nThe Redmond-based company already has a presence in Tmall,\u00A0but the new Microsoft Store, which the company is calling a\u00A0\u201Ccomplementary extension\u201D, will take it closer to its customers and place greater emphasis on Windows 8 devices and other products.\r\n\r\nThe new Tmall store will be run by a dedicated team in China and is aiming to mix offers and promotions, with sales of the company's local catalogue, which numbers 50 products -- including those below. The site will also feature\u00A0an online chat channel and 'Up &amp;amp;amp; Running', a free service\u00A0to help Surface buyers set up and use their machines.\r\n\r\n\tMicrosoft Surface and accessories\r\n\tMicrosoft Online Store\u2019s unique Up &amp;amp;amp; Running Service for Surface\r\n\tMicrosoft Office\r\n\tWindows Phone devices from key OEM partners\r\n\tMicrosoft hardware and accessories\r\n\tMicrosoft Online Store\u2019s unique Signature PCs (coming soon)\r\n\r\nWith its Web retail presence in place, the company says it is on the cusp of launching a new promotional campaign. Starting in &amp;quot;the coming weeks&amp;quot; it will spotlight new product launches, and highlight the places where consumers can go to buy them.\r\n\r\n\u201CMicrosoft sees great potential in China\u2019s e-commerce market, to offer customers across the country choice, value and service through our online store,\u201D read a statement from Kevin Eagan, vice president of e-commerce for Microsoft Retail Stores.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nWhile the company has not released figures relating to its sales in China, research firm IDC recently estimated that it shipped just\u00A030,000 units\u00A0during the final quarter of 2012.\r\n\r\nWith the products now in the market a little longer, and Microsoft now selling via its store, this increased Tmall presence and\u00A0retailer Sunning, it will be hoping to see traction among China's 1 billion plus population.\r\n\r\nMicrosoft has endured constant battles with piracy in China. Last year, it\u00A0was revealed that the company\u00A0had petitioned China\u00A0to intervene with four major state-owned enterprises with extremely high piracy rates. Still, the company is investing strongly in China, as it\u00A0plans to hire 1,000 new staff\u00A0there over the next year, increasing its headcount by more than 20 percent.\r\n\r\nA word on Tmall parent Alibaba, for those that are not familiar with it.\u00A0The company has 24,000 employees, is estimated to be worth $40 billion and surpassed Amazon and eBay combined in terms of sales volume last year. Indeed, the first 11 months of 2012 saw Alibaba record\u00A0$157 billion\u00A0in transactions on its platforms, of which a colossal $3.1 billion came in a\u00A0single day\u00A0on the company\u2019s 11/11 Shopping Festival.\r\n\r\n"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://thenextweb.com/microsoft/2013/03/19/microsoft-beefs-up-chinese-web-retail-presence-with-flagship-store-in-alibaba-owned-tmall/?_escaped_fragment_=rGgY8>