Microsoft on Track to Open 44 Retail Stores by June 2013

Redmond-based software giant Microsoft is reportedly on track to open no less than 44 retail stores before the end of June 2013.

The company confirmed on July 11th that it would have the stores opened before the end of its fiscal year 2013, which means end of June next year.

Also yesterday, the company announced the opening of two new stores in the United States, one in Boston and another in Orlando.

“On 8/23, the ‪#MicrosoftStore‬ at The Shops at Prudential Center in ‪#Boston‬ will officially open its doors,” a tweet from the company reads.

“The new ‪#MicrosoftStore‬ in The Florida Mall in ‪#Orlando‬ opens 8/16,” the other announcement states.

This year, Microsoft is also expected to launch new stores in Puerto Rico and Canada before the end of this year.

Users entering Microsoft’s retail stores will be able to purchase Windows PCs and Windows Phones, along with software from Microsoft and third-parties as well as games, peripherals and more.

Moreover, Microsoft plans on making the newly announced Surface tablet PCs available for purchase in the United States through said Stores.

ZDNet’s Mary Jo Foley also notes that Microsoft is set to open 75 retail locations by 2014. The company made the announcement last year, and it has already made steps in achieving this goal.

In fact, Microsoft announced its intentions to open a large number of retail stores back in February 2009, when it appointed David as Corporate Vice President of Retail Stores.

The Redmond-based software giant aims at opening its retail stores as close to Apple’s locations as possible.

Basically, this appears to be part of the strategy that Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer unveiled recently, that the software giant will battle Apple more fiercely than before, on all fields.

However, it’s worth mentioning that Apple currently has over 300 retail stores around the world, and that Microsoft still has a long way to go before it catches up.