The world’s largest online based retailer, Amazon, has opened its newest bookstore in New York at the end of May this year, which makes it the company’s first brick and mortar shop in the city and seventh nationally.
Amazon originally opened as an online book marketplace in 1994, which then expanded to selling other products including, CDs, DVDs, video games, electronics and toys to list a few. In 2015, the company opened its first bookstore in Seattle.
The company plans to launch six further bookstores by the end of 2017, making it a total of 13 shops.
The retail store greatly helps to promote its core Prime subscriptions program. Currently, Amazon Prime members are able to purchase the products at discounted online prices at the store, while non-members have to pay higher “list” prices for the same products.
Xiupeng Zhang, a customer at the store said Amazon’s retail store has a great advantage of offering customers the ability to purchase books straight away, without the need to wait for them to be delivered, while you still get the online price.
Amazon spokeperson said: “Our goal of Amazon Books is to help customers and readers discover great books.”