Rumor: Amazon to open physical stores

Amazon is said to have plans to stop focusing exclusively on online sales. There are plans to open a physical store in New York. Customers could, among other things, pick up their online orders in the stores.

For the time being, it would be an experiment, in which Amazon wants to determine whether the concept is successful with its customers, sources reported to the usually well-informed The Wall Street Journal. The first Amazon store is to open in New York, according to the sources. Amazon would already be working on the building; a building opposite the Empire State Building. The store must be open before the holidays.

Amazon probably does not see its store as a showcase for its products, but it is mainly intended as a mini-warehouse. Customers can pick up their products ordered online, or return their products or hand them in for warranty. At the same time, the store must serve as a distribution center for the shipment of parcels.

Amazon itself declined to comment on the rumours. Because this is a test, it is unlikely that work is already being done on stores in other countries. The company is active in several European countries, which may also open physical stores if the test is successful.