Google to Open First Offline Store in New York, USA

Photo by Google Blog

[Asia Economy Reporter Yujin Cho] Google is opening its first official offline store in New York where customers can experience and purchase its products.

On the 20th (local time), according to The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), Google announced through its blog that it will open its first offline retail store near Chelsea Market in Manhattan, New York.

At this store, customers can experience and purchase all Google products, including its self-developed smartphones, tablets, wearable devices, and AI speakers, as well as receive services such as repairs and software installation support.

The location of Google's first official store is near the building housing Google's New York headquarters and is also close to the Apple Store. Google established its East Coast headquarters in Chelsea, Manhattan, New York in 2000, and currently employs 11,000 people.

Although Google has operated temporary pop-up stores in New York and Chicago since officially entering the hardware market in 2016, this is the first time it has opened a permanent offline store.

Google stated, "Although the COVID-19 pandemic has expanded the contactless market and changed shopping methods, many customers have still expected a permanent official store where they can experience hardware products before purchasing," explaining the reason for opening the store.

WSJ reported that Google's move comes after Microsoft (MS) announced in June last year that it would close 83 MS retail stores due to increased online sales and other reasons.

Google originally planned to open its first offline store with a total floor area of 1,300 square meters in West Loop, downtown Chicago, but the plan was canceled.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.