Rumours of Google jumping into the brick-and-mortar game are not new. Many of its competitors, including Apple, Microsoft and Samsung among many others have already established successful retail presences. It now appears that Google is getting ready to finally make the oft-rumoured jump as well. The company is reportedly close to signing a lease in New York City for what could become its first Google brick-and-mortar store. According to Crain’s New York Business, the lease is for 131 Greene Street in the SoHo district. If so, Google would have Apple, Hugo Boss, Tiffany & Co. and Louis Vuitton as nearby neighbours.
“This could do for cobblestone Greene Street what the Apple store did for Prince,” said Richard Hodos, a retail leasing broker at CBRE, referring to the Apple store on the corner of Prince and Greene streets that became a retail phenomenon in SoHo. “This is going to be an attraction that will generate excitement for Greene Street, that people will want to come and see.”
Google is reportedly planning an 8,000 square foot store at the location. While there is no mention of what Google plans to sell there,it’s s a safe bet that its Nexus and Google Play edition devices would be offered. Google Glass is another likely candidate given that it could launch commercially as early as later this year.
Google has dabbled in the retail business in the past. It opened its first retail store in London as part of a “low-key experiment” back in 2011. The Chromezone, located within the Tottenham Court Road PC World store sold Chromebooks. Last year, it opened pop-up stores called Google Winter Wonderlabs in six U.S. cities over the holidays.
Sources : Crain's New York Business // 9to5Google