Amazon's first brick-and-mortar store said to open in Manhattan
It's hardly a secret that Amazon wants to be your go-to store for everything, but despite its big pushes for same-day delivery, there's still nothing like trudging into a physical store when you need something in a rush. Amazon seems to understand that all too well -- according to reports from CNBC and the Wall Street Journal, the e-commerce titan is gearing up to open its first brick-and-mortar store in midtown Manhattan in time for the holidays.
The move might seem a little out of character for a company like Amazon, but this isn't the first time it's thought about moving off of the internet and into meatspace. Two years ago, rumor had it that Amazon was going to open a physical shop in Seattle devoted to Amazon-exclusive books and its slew of Kindle gadgets. Oh, and who could forget those Amazon lockers you could choose to route your goodies to? Amazon's vision for its role in the real world has evolved a bit since then -- the Journal notes that the New York outpost could act as a way to highlight its own products like Fire TV, but the bigger draw is the space's role as a same-day product pickup location/customer service hub. Think about it: You'd be able to purchase something from Amazon and schlep down to the store on 34th Street to pick it up. Not exactly what you expected? You'd be able to return it to that very same spot. That sense of physical immediacy is something that Amazon has always lacked -- now we'll just have to wait and see if it's enough to warrant opening more of these things.
