Few days back rumors about Microsoft opening a retail store were confired when Microsoft named a VP of Retail Stores. David Porter comes from Dreamworks, and before that spent 25 years at Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart! Doesn’t this word seems similar to a retail store?……..Yes.

Microsoft is openly acknowledging Apple’s consumer electronics threat and going for the jugular. The company’s COO Kevin Turner has officially announced that they will open their own retail stores “right next door to Apple this fall”:

And stay tuned, because we’re going to have some retail stores opened up that are opened up right next door to Apple stores this fall. Stay tuned, just stay tuned.

He said it today at the Microsoft’s Worldwide Partner Conference keynote. His words were later confirmed by a Microsoft representative. In other words, after Apple’s success in the retail channel, Microsoft wants to fight right back right there, doing the same thing showing whatever cool things they want to show.

There are no details about the actual strategy plan except that it will start happening this fall. It’s too difficult to wait.