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Samsung has a new flagship store where you can't buy anything
Many people like to do their shopping online, but there's something to be said for going to a brick-and-mortar location and actually seeing something before you buy it. With that in mind, Samsung is joining companies like Apple, Microsoft and Nintendo in opening a physical shop to experience its product. But there's one key difference: Samsung won't actually be selling any devices at its new flagship location. Instead, you'll find art exhibits, cooking classes and musical performances in what the company is billing as a cultural center aimed at owners (and prospective owners) of Samsung devices.
Amazon's retail plans could include a lot more than books
Amazon is taking steps to make its brick-and-mortar dreams come true, according to Recode. Its sources confirm that the e-retailer aims to open not just more book shops, but also other types of retail stores in the future. They also echo The New York Times' revelation that the company has no immediate plans to open as many as 400 bookstores, "but they could not rule out that eventual outcome." If you recall, a shopping mall CEO claimed that Amazon is planning to launch 300 to 400 physical book shops. That same CEO issued a carefully crafted follow-up statement clarifying that his words were "not intended to represent [the company's] plans."
Nintendo is renovating its one-of-a-kind New York store
Nintendo's headquarters may be in Kyoto, Japan, but the spiritual center, where most big US console launches happen, is the Nintendo World store at Rockefeller Plaza, New York. The only official Nintendo store in the world is about to undergo a major renovation and when it's over, it'll also have a new name -- Nintendo NY. The new look will include an updated interior design, new Wii U and 3DS demo units, a 15-foot gaming screen and a large bronze coin at the entrance with the tagline "Where everyone comes to play" (below).
Robot watches store shelves so you don't leave empty-handed
Few things are more annoying while shopping than finding out that a store hasn't bothered to stock what you want... assuming you know to look for it in the first place. A robot may just come to your rescue, though. Simbe Robotics is launching an autonomous robot, Tally, that scans store shelves and lets workers know when goods are running out or misplaced. Shops no longer have to make a human trudge through the aisles -- they only have to send someone out when supplies are low. Tally can work during normal business hours, and it even has a Roomba-like charging dock so that it can top itself up in mid-shift.
Google reportedly abandons plan to open retail store in NYC
Remember those rumors about Google opening a chain of retail stores? Apparently, it isn't happening -- at least not in New York City. According to Crain's the retail space the company leased (and spent $6 million renovating) in NYC's SoHo district last year is back on the market. If the search giant is opening a retail location, it won't be at 131 Greene Street.
Google Play's pending redesign gets an early tease
While an app store redesign may not be the most exciting update, there are some pending tweaks to the Google Play store app that tidy things up a bit. Thanks to Google software engineer Kirill Grouchnikov, we have an early look at a few of the changes. Aside from some aesthetic polish and scrolling animations, Google is dividing the store into two main parts: Apps & Games and Entertainment. Google Play is currently divided into six categories that appear when you first open up the app, so reducing those down to two seems to simplify matters a bit. There's also support for languages that read right to left, based on some of the screenshots Grouchnikov uploaded to Google+. Unfortunately, there's no indication as to when Android users will receive the update. For now, you can see how the Google Play has evolved since its early days as Android market on the other side of the break.
Microsoft's Fifth Avenue flagship store will open this fall
Microsoft is apparently readying its new flagship retail outlet to open this Fall on New York's Fifth Avenue. Microsoft Extended Experts Team member Gokan Ozcifci tweeted the image below, which appears to show the storefront at 677 5th Ave with signage reading "Microsoft Store Coming Fall 2015". Microsoft has been pushing its brick and mortar retail business for about five years now. The company has more than 100 outlets in the US, Puerto Rico and Canada and numerous Microsoft-branded store-within-a-store sections at Best Buy and Staples. This will be its first flagship location, just blocks from one of Apple's four Manhattan storefronts.
Amazon wants to build drive-up grocery stores
If you enjoy the luxury of ordering groceries online but would rather not wait at home for your food deliveries, Amazon might soon come to your rescue. Silicon Valley Business Journal understands that Amazon is working on a drive-up grocery store in Sunnyvale, California (a possible concept rendering is shown here) that will rely solely on internet orders -- you'd schedule pickups instead of wandering aisles. Think of it as an AmazonFresh depot that could save you shipping costs while adapting to your schedule.
Facebook wants you to shop inside its store pages
Here's a mystery: if Facebook thinks store pages are so important, why can't you shop from those store pages? Well, Facebook has finally come to its senses. The social network tells Buzzfeed News that it's testing an option to buy goods directly from stores' Facebook pages, rather than kicking you over to another website. The effort is still early enough that only a few dozen brands are participating (Facebook won't name names), but it could expand to include groups, sports teams and even celebrities.
Apple Stores to carry third-party accessories in custom boxes
Apple is well-known for being very particular about its packaging... and it apparently cares about other companies' packaging, too. According to 9to5Mac, the tech giant is telling retail staff that it will soon sell third-party accessories in boxes co-designed by Apple... and possibly only in those boxes. Yes, that familiar minimalist look would soon spread to just about everything in the store. The move would ostensibly help you find what you're looking for and make sure that it works with your devices. Many of the familiar brands in Apple stores are reportedly on board with the idea, including Incase, Mophie and Logitech.
Xiaomi officially launches its US and European stores in early June
After a brief dry run, Xiaomi is just about ready to officially launch its online store in both the US and Europe. The Chinese tech firm has announced that the Mi Store will be available in the US on June 1st, and will reach France, Germany and the UK on June 2nd. As before, you're not about to score phones like the Mi Note Pro or Mi4 through this shop -- it's all about mobile-oriented accessories, such as the Mi Band activity tracker, Mi Headphones and Mi Power Bank. If you're only interested in scoring a deal on a wearable or power pack, though, you won't have long to wait.
Xiaomi starts small with a UK online accessory store
Xiaomi is about to enter the UK market, but it won't be selling the Android phones and tablets it's best known for. Mimicking its plans for the US, the company is starting with an online accessory store for its Mi-branded headphones, battery packs and fitness trackers. Xiaomi will be taking orders from midday on May 19th, but be warned, as the store has been firmly branded with the "beta" label. As Android Authority reports, this means that all of the accessories will be available in limited quantities -- so once Xiaomi has sold through its pre-determined amounts, that'll be it. Game over. Products will ship directly from Xiaomi's warehouses in China, so be aware that you might have to pay some import duties. Clearly, Xiaomi is using this limited launch to test the UK's waters, but who knows, if it's successful maybe we'll see a full-time store selling its flagship Mi Note in the future.
Windows 10 phone preview tests out universal Office, Xbox apps
Microsoft's latest preview version of Windows 10 for phones is here and whether you prefer work or play -- or non-Lumia Windows phones -- it has something new to offer. This is the first one ready to test out the new Universal Office apps (Word, Excel, Powerpoint and OneNote) that are built to run across PCs, phones and tablets alike. Control them via touch, pen, keyboard -- whatever you have they're ready to do business. This access arrives because build 10080 is also the first with a beta version of the new Windows Store. It's a universal app too (notice a theme here?) with a new look, but there are some known issues and the old Store app is still there in case you need to fall back on it. Microsoft announced that it would bring carrier billing for all with the new app and while that's still on the way, it's not enabled yet.
The RadioShack brand lives to see another day
RadioShack's brand will live on. According to The Wall Street Journal, the retailer's label assets have been purchased by Standard General LP, a hedge fund, for $26.2 million. Along with the trademark, other undisclosed intellectual property was also included in the bankruptcy auction, which took place Monday in New York. But what exactly is Standard General LP's vision? It plans to rebuild and rebrand. The firm is reportedly looking to overhaul RadioShack's brand around a "streamlined array of necessities," that are going to be sold alongside wireless products from Sprint. The carrier, of course, has kept close tabs on the electronics chain's Chapter 11 woes. Just last month, it opened its own stores inside existing RadioShack locations, which would otherwise now be defunct.
Nokia's stores are turning into Microsoft resellers
It's been a long time coming, but some of the last vestiges of Nokia's phone business are going away. Microsoft has started converting Nokia's stores and service centers into "Microsoft Resellers" (catchy, we know), complete with the colorful branding that you'd expect from a regular Microsoft store. It won't have the sheer variety of hardware, so you shouldn't expect to pick up a laptop while you're getting your phone fixed. However, the transition is still a big deal if you live outside of North America -- this may be the first time you'll visit a Microsoft shop, and your first chance at trying certain devices. As sad as it may be to see Nokia's name disappear from street corners, this is good news if you feel like you've been missing out on Microsoft's latest tech.
Nordstrom tests curbside pickups for online orders
Store pickups give you the luxury of shopping online without waiting days for deliveries, but there's still one big hassle involved: you have to, y'know, enter the store. That won't be a problem if Nordstrom's latest experiment pans out. Several of the retail chain's locations (including its Seattle flagship) are testing an option that lets you pick up an internet order while staying in your car. All you do is call or text when you're near the shop, and a staffer will wait for you outside. There's no word on whether or not Nordstrom will expand the streetside option, but here's hoping that it does. This would not only save you time picking up a new wardrobe when you're in a rush, but spare you from hunting for that elusive downtown parking spot. [Image credit: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images]
Toshiba's humanoid retail robot is ready to greet you
If you happen to be shopping in Japan sometime soon, don't be surprised if the first offer of help comes from a machine. Toshiba has just installed Aiko Chihira, a humanoid greeter robot, at Tokyo's Mitsukoshi department store. The kimono-clad automaton will guide you around the shop while it blinks and smiles -- at once helpful and, as you can see above, a little creepy. It can't respond to questions yet (don't yell at it over a faulty product), but it's capable of handling both spoken and signed languages. No, Aiko isn't as interactive or relentlessly adorable as SoftBank's Pepper, but it'll be a big time-saver if it prevents you from getting lost in the aisles. [Image credit: AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi]
Apple wants you to avoid product launch lines
Apple no longer wants you to wait in long lines during product launches -- in fact, it would sometimes prefer that you stay at home. An Angela Ahrendts memo leaked to Business Insider shows that the company is going to steer you toward using either the Apple Store app or its online store to buy devices like the Apple Watch and 12-inch MacBook. There's "more availability" online, she says, and you'll know just when you'll get your goods instead of "crossing your fingers" while you sit in a queue.
Best Buy is shutting down Canada's biggest tech store chain
Best Buy is a mainstay of tech shopping in the US, but it knows that it's small potatoes in Canada -- it kept the country's better-known Future Shop chain going for years after a takeover, even after opening shops of its own. However, the American retailer is now making its presence felt in a big way by shutting down Future Shop altogether. It'll convert 65 of the locations into Best Buy stores within a week, and 66 others are closing immediately.
Apple is training its store staff to offer fashion advice
Now that the Apple Watch is close to launch, Apple is getting its stores ready to sell the wearable -- and apparently, that involves turning its T-shirt-wearing staffers into fashion gurus. A 9to5Mac leak has revealed that the company is asking retail employees to suggest different watches based on how you dress and your lifestyle, much like you'd expect when buying a pair of designer glasses. Yes, that specialist may suggest a colorful watch because you have a "fun style" (ack), not just because it's the best your budget allows. Apple is reportedly aware that you might want to skip the spiel and will have areas for people who already know what they want, but you'll want to be prepared for some beauty banter if you're undecided.
