Yes this is annoying but not on the level of Microsoft. Some apps are only available in the U.S. App Store. If you switch stores to say, New Zealand then you lose access to those apps. But iTunes does allow you to easily change stores and download your U.S. only apps provided you still have a valid U.S. payment method and address. You can then change stores again but your locally downloaded apps remain. It's inconvenient and messy.
