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When Microsoft opens retail stores in markets around the country, it often brings out celebs and execs with connections to the local community to participate. Which means that a special guest is in store for residents of Troy, Michigan, when a new Microsoft Store opens this week.

No, we’re not talking about Kelly Clarkson, the musical guest for the grand opening.

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, a native of Michigan, will reportedly be on hand to lead the festivities — which means that the proceedings promise to be even more enthusiastic than normal. The last time we saw Ballmer open a Microsoft Store was in Bellevue in 2011.

Ballmer has a lot on his plate right now, announcing a Microsoft partnership with Oracle earlier today, and reportedly getting close to announcing a long-awaited internal reorg at Microsoft. No official word on whether he’ll also be at the company’s Build developer conference in San Francisco this week, but he has been at the previous two Build events, so it wouldn’t be a surprise.

The new store in Michigan is part of an ongoing expansion of Microsoft’s retail footprint.

(Via NeoWin and WinBeta.)

 

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