The rise of Amazon is widely cited as one of the reasons that fewer and fewer physical bookstores remain in business. However, it appears that Amazon is looking to open another new physical bookstore, which could pave the way for an even bigger expansion down the line.
Via Mashable, The Financial Times is reporting that Amazon is planning to create a new Amazon Books in Chicago, which coincides with previously announced plans for stores in San Diego, California and Portland, Oregon. The first Amazon Books was opened in Seattle back in 2015, and it appears to have been just the beginning of its expansion beyond the company’s website. Four stores is a long way from the hundreds of Borders and Barnes & Noble locations that were set up across the country, but it’s been five years since Borders declared bankruptcy and closed, while Barnes & Noble has financially struggled. This could be the most opportune time for Amazon to swoop in and begin taking steps to challenge Barnes & Noble on a national scale.
As Mashable notes in its report, the Amazon Books location in Seattle appears to be geared towards pushing Amazon’s Kindle e-book readers, Amazon Fire TV, and Amazon Echo. Of course, there are also books in the store, most of which are best-sellers or highly rated on Amazon.com itself. Barnes & Noble has also attempted to promote its e-book reader, the Nook, in its stores for many years. But so far, Amazon appears to have the edge between the two e-readers.
Would you be excited to see Amazon Books expand beyond their current locations, or are they missing the point of why people like them? Let us know in the comment section below!
Image: Amazon
