Google will open its first Google Store this summer. Yes, the company that has managed to become a digital services giant is weeks away from opening a physical store, in a move that seems quite risky to me, but if it goes well (and it is possible) it could serve to improve the overall image of the company. Undoubtedly, physical stores are an image element that adds many points, even to the point of making them economically unprofitable, but they are profitable in terms of brand image.
Google to open a physical store in New York this summer
And what will customers who visit the first Google Store be able to find? According to the technology company’s blog, and as we could already imagine, the focus will be on the company’s electronic devices: Google Pixel smartphones, Fitbit bracelets, Nest devices, Pixelbooks, and others. In addition, it can also be used as a collection point for purchases made in Google’s digital store of devices.
In addition, and with a clear inspiration in the Genius Bar of Apple Stores, this Google Store will also have a service of experts in the devices that will be responsible for advising customers and resolve their doubts, as well as repair and maintenance of the devices. In addition, practical workshops will also be organized for users to learn how to get the most out of their gadgets.
As for its location, the first Google Store will be located in New York, more specifically in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan. Located north of Greenwich Village and bordering the Hudson River to the west, in this area it is possible to find the usual Manhattan skyscrapers, but also townhouses and mid-rise buildings (low, compared to its immediate surroundings). As with the West Village, it has become a culturally very active area with a great deal of somewhat exclusive commerce.
If you are wondering why Google has chosen Chelsea for its Google Store, instead of looking for a more emblematic location, like Apple with its Cube Store on Fifth Avenue, the reason is very simple and is that the technology company already has other facilities in the neighborhood, including its headquarters in the city and its training center in the city. Thus, the Google Store will be added to the already large infrastructure that the company already has in the same location.
It now remains to be seen how this first physical Google Store will work. If the company finds the formula for success, it is to be expected that in the medium term the company will decide to open a second Google Store, perhaps in the United States or perhaps in Europe. Today, honestly, we find it hard to believe that they will be able to reach a level of implementation like that of the Apple Store, but it could have a certain international presence, which would add points to the brand image.
