San Francisco: Amazon unveiled plans to open more bookstores and ‘4-star’ shops selling only the best-rated products — while closing its smaller ‘pop-up’ kiosks in the US.
“After much review, we came to the decision to discontinue our pop-up kiosk program, and are instead expanding Amazon Books and Amazon 4-star,” an Amazon spokeswoman said. “We look forward to opening additional locations of both stores this year.”
According to CNBC, the 87 pop-up stores in the US will close next month. Launched in 2014, the stands — located in shopping centers or in other stores, such as Amazon-owned Whole Foods — offered the company’s services and electronics.
The announcement confirms Amazon’s goal to strengthen its real-world presence with more, larger physical outlets.
The Wall Street Journal reported last week that the firm, owned by billionaire Jeff Bezos, plans to open a supermarket chain separate from Whole Foods — with the first expected in Los Angeles at the end of this year.
The firm opened its first ‘4-star’ shop in New York in September, with stock made up solely of products given a four and five-star rating on its website.
In early 2018, the group also opened its first ‘Amazon Go’ store in Seattle — a grocery outlet without a checkout, where purchases are recorded by cameras and sensors.
AFP