Microsoft Store to Open in Natick Mall

Microsoft is set to open a retail store in Natick this fall in an effort to sell additional smartphones, tablets and software during the holiday season, the Boston Globe reports. 

The company is expected to have 27 brick-and-mortar stores open across the country by September, designed to combat rival Apple, which has 375 stores worldwide. 

A Microsoft shop in the Natick Mall will remain open only for the holidays. 

"The company did not say how long the stores will remain open or how many employees it plans to hire locally," the boston.com article said.