We’ve known this was happening for a while, based on my previous digging into city permit filings, but Microsoft today made it official, confirming on Facebook that it’s planning to open a retail store in Seattle’s upscale University Village shopping center this fall.

The store will face off against Apple, literally. Microsoft’s new location is directly across the parking lot from Apple’s existing University Village store, and it should be very interesting to see whose product launches draw the bigger crowd.

No specific date was given for the opening beyond the general fall timeframe.

It’s part of a broader attempt by Microsoft to boost its retail presence across the country. Microsoft executive Kevin Turner said recently that the company will open an additional 75 stores in the next two to three years. It currently has eleven stores in locations across the country.

Here’s the slide Turner showed mapping out the planned store openings …

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