Amazon will not just be a web link anymore. It is soon becoming a brick-and-mortar bookseller, as reported by The Wall Street Journal, an English-language daily in New York City, US.
The retail giant plans to open as many as 400 bookstores across the US, following the success of its first physical store that was inaugrated in November, 2015 in its hometown, Seattle.
Amazon started off by selling books online in 1995. In two decades, it has become the largest internet-based retailer in the US, with international shipping now a common feature being used by people around the world. And if physical stores help it accomplish more, there is little reason to think it will stop there.
The books sold at these stores will not differ in price from their online price tag. Additionally, the selection of books will be decided by the customers themselves. The books that receive a rating of four stars or above on Amazon.com will be the ones picked to be sold in the stores. Thus ensuring that the stores aren’t cluttered and only put forth the bestsellers. If customers want any other books, they would simply log on to the website.
Having a physical store might work well because the environment would encourage different shopping habits than e-commerce. If you were to log on to the company’s website, you might search for a specific book and log out. However, in a book store, you might be more likely to browse and hence make impulse purchases. Additionally, shipping costs can vary over time and places. But, a physical store would have fixed costs, such as labour, rent and utilities.
Would you prefer to shop for your books online or at a physical store? Tell us at readers@gulfnews.com.
