Amazon has launched its first general bricks-and-mortar store in New York, as it powers ahead with its physical expansion.
The store, dubbed Amazon 4-star, will sell a range of products including Amazon’s own Echo and Kindle products, alongside a range of highly rated products on its website including toys, household goods, games and kitchenware.
As the name suggests, all items sold will have a 4-star rating or above.
In true Amazon fashion the store will be adorned with the latest technology, including digital price tags which will fluctuate.
This will allow for different price points for Amazon Prime members and the general public, ensuring that Prime members always pay the online price while non-members pay a premium.
Of course shoppers will be able to sign up to Prime on the spot, as Amazon utilises the same techniques seen in across its 12 book store estate to encourage sign-ups.
Last week it was revealed that Amazon is planning to dramatically ramp up its Amazon Go grocery store roll out over the next few years, aiming for around 3000 stores by 2021.
Sources close to the company said Amazon’s chief executive Jeff Bezos hopes to create a format similar to Pret a Manger in the UK, selling freshly prepared food and a limited number of groceries but utilising its coveted cashierless system.
The online giant has been positioning itself to enter the physical retail market for some time, having bought grocer Whole Foods Market in 2016, while opening four standalone Amazon Go stores in the US.
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