[Techtaffy Newsdesk]

Microsoft is ringing in the new year with six new retail stores in Texas, Ohio, Florida, California,  Utah, and Missouri.

Jonathan Adashek  (General manager, Communications and Strategy, Sales & Marketing Services Group, Microsoft): We have always said that we will adjust our strategy, and open additional stores to deliver the choice, value and service our Microsoft customers have come to expect.

The company says it will also extend a majority of its specialty store locations into the new year, and transition some of those stores into permanent full-line outlets.

Microsoft opened 51 new full-line and specialty stores in 2012, including its first international stores in Edmonton, Burnaby, Vancouver and Toronto.