Microsoft plans to open more retail stores in 2013

 SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- Microsoft on Wednesday unveiled locations of the first six new retail¹ stores it plans to open in 2013, indicating that the company will continue to expand its retail coverage² in the new year.

All of the six new stores will be located in the United States, including one in Westfield San Francisco Center, an upscale shopping mall in downtown San Francisco.

"We're thrilled to ring in the New Year by announcing the locations of our first new store locations for 2013," Microsoft said in a post on its official blog.

The company said it plans to open the doors of many other stores next year, without giving further details.

The retail expansion is part of Microsoft's strategy to move its business beyond software into hardware and other areas.

The retail stores can help directly connect customers with Microsoft products, such as the Surface tablet computer the software giant launched this year.

Microsoft said that in 2012, it opened 51 new full-line stores as well as "specialty³ stores" which offer some but not all of its products.

1 retail   

v./n.零售；adv.以零售价格

参考例句：

• In this shop they retail tobacco and sweets.这家铺子零售香烟和糖果。
• These shoes retail at 10 yuan a pair.这些鞋子零卖10元一双。

2 coverage   

n.报导，保险范围，保险额，范围，覆盖

参考例句：

• There's little coverage of foreign news in the newspaper.报纸上几乎没有国外新闻报道。
• This is an insurance policy with extensive coverage.这是一项承保范围广泛的保险。

3 specialty   

n.(speciality)特性，特质；专业，专长

参考例句：

• Shell carvings are a specialty of the town.贝雕是该城的特产。
• His specialty is English literature.他的专业是英国文学。