Google To Open First Retail Store Steps Away From Apple in NYC

Google will open its first retail store in New York City, highlighting the internet giant's effort to promote its consumer hardware devices. From a report: The store, in Manhattan's trendy Chelsea neighborhood, will open to the public Thursday, the Mountain View, California-based company said Wednesday in a blog post. The shop, which is a block away from rival Apple's 14th Street store, occupies part of the first floor of Google's New York offices. Alphabet's Google began experimenting with pop-up stores in 2016, the same year it debuted its Pixel smartphone and Nest smart home speaker. In the years since, the company has introduced a plethora of hardware devices and hosted subsequent pop-ups to learn more about what consumers expect from a retail store, said Jason Rosenthal, Google's vice president of direct channels and membership. "It's like walking into a dream," Ivy Ross, vice president of design, user experience and research for design and services, said during a virtual tour. "I hope customers feel the same way. I want them to be happy and inspired, like I am being in here."

They have what, 5 products?

[AmazingRuss]

This is moronic... but I guess they have money to burn.

Re:They have what, 5 products?

[Virtucon]

actually the Nest product portfolio [google.com] is growing. I think this is more about "see what we have" vs. a direct sales outlet. I mean the real estate costs alone probably couldn't be covered by the sales much less the staffing.

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[EvilSS]

Yep 5. No wait 4. 2. And the store is closed.

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[fermion]

But cheap using the Trader Joeâ(TM)s model. One e Penske of retail is figuring out where to put stores. Trader Joeâ(TM)s avoid that e Penske by building next to Whole Foods, or in one case and old Whole Foods

Re: They have what, 5 products?

[jessepdx]

Google tries to pretend itâ(TM)s not a monopoly by trying to show they âoecompeteâ against Microsoft, Apple and others in their verticals and lose.

Common practice

[Geoffrey.landis]

Oddly, that is common practice in retail; putting many stores in the same business into the same area. It gives rise to things like the garment district, the auto mile, the canal-street electronics district, etc. I guess in NYC we'll now have the compu-clouddistrict.

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[Ostracus]

That actually wouldn't be bad. Go in and buy a computer already set up for virtualization service. And since those are high-dollar the margins should be good.

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[drinkypoo]

That actually wouldn't be bad. Go in and buy a computer already set up for virtualization service. And since those are high-dollar the margins should be good.

You mean a chromebook? Those are low-dollar.

Does Google have enough products for a store?

[UnknowingFool]

I am aware that Google has a few models of phones and chromebooks but do they have enough models for a store? It does not list how large the store will be, but if they only have a few models, the store will appear empty. Having only a few models is not an issue for a pop up concept especially if the pop up is small.

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[Ostracus]

Maybe they'll sell some used Project Loon gear.

Re:Does Google have enough products for a store?

[UnknowingFool]

Apple physical products as of today:
iPhones: 4 (not including storage variants)
iPad: 4 (not including storage variants)
Mac: 8 (not including RAM and storage variants)
There's also Apple Watch, Home Pod, Apple TV, AirPods, etc.

Apple's overall look is minimal in that stock inventory is not shown to the customers; that does not mean they they do not have products.

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[tlhIngan]

Apple physical products as of today:
iPhones: 4 (not including storage variants)
iPad: 4 (not including storage variants)
Mac: 8 (not including RAM and storage variants)
There's also Apple Watch, Home Pod, Apple TV, AirPods, etc.

Apple's overall look is minimal in that stock inventory is not shown to the customers; that does not mean they they do not have products.

There's also all the accessories.

No need to have inventory clutter the floor - sure in most stores you do it because there are more customers than sal

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[Godwin O'Hitler]

And how many did the first Apple Store have?

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[UnknowingFool]

It was risky for Apple to do it back then; however, Apple's core business has been to sell Apple devices. Google's core business has never been to sell devices. To me the purpose of Pixel is not Google necessarily wanting to be a major player in smartphones but to show their partners how Androids should be.

Re:Does Google have enough products for a store?

[Merk42]

In addition to phones and chromebooks, there's also Chromecast, the whole line of Nest products, and accessories. Yes quite a few products [google.com].

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[Moneymaker73]

I think Google will find out from its own experience that there are certain identifiable groups that will leave with all their unrelated products. I love watching news and reading various articles about movies and games. Today I read an article about the best movies about gambling clubs https://www.theleader.info/202... [theleader.info] / It features one of my favorite films, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. I have been following this author for a long time. I liked the article for its content, which opens up new sides of th

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[DrMrLordX]

The product is YOU!

(In Soviet Russia???)

Re: Will be on killedbygoogle.com within a few yea

[Orlando]

Along with the products being sold in the shop.

Looks like a library.

[Fly Swatter]

I want them to be happy and inspired

Do these 'designers' get out much? It's all beige and tan. Probably feels like a clinic.

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[Ostracus]

Clinic with a free X-ray [youtu.be] scan.

This is like two competing kids...

[joshuark]

This is like two competing kids with lemonade stands opening next to one another on their parent's driveway.

Yet Google always seemed to have the advantage selling Chromebook laptops, and Android phones through Walmart and Target. Now they seem to want to have their own store, a'la Microsoft to compete with Apple...the me too, but too late phenomena.

JoshK.

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[stabiesoft]

I'm not sure I agree with the lemonade stand. Google yes, Apple no. I'm not an apple buyer but their image is high end, and so are their prices. Google is more Walmart/Target/mass market. Google I think would be best described as utilitarian. Which does not a fit with Manhattan. That said, Walmart and Google both make plenty of money, just a different audience than apple. One of the reasons the first stupid expensive pixel sold poorly was it would be like walmart trying to selling Rolex.

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[Poison.Pill]

Google is more Walmart/Target/mass market. Google I think would be best described as utilitarian. Which does not a fit with Manhattan.

I think you're right when it comes to people who live and/or work in Manhattan. And, more importantly, people who can afford to live and/or work in Manhattan. But remember there are tens of millions of tourists to New York City every year (or at least, before the Pandemic). The bulk of them go into Manhattan. I can easily imagine those people who already have some Google / Android consumer exposure paying a visit to the "Flagship Google Store nearby" when they stop to see the NYC Apple store.

I don't reall

I remember another company that tried this

[RogueWarrior65]

What was it's name? Give me a minute, it'll come to me.

What planet do these people live on?

[lengel]

"It's like walking into a dream," Ivy Ross, vice president of design, user experience and research for design and services, said during a virtual tour. "I hope customers feel the same way. I want them to be happy and inspired, like I am being in here."

I am genuinely curious. Can someone really make a statement like that and not laugh out loud at what he just said?

Wow.

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[nwaack]

He's getting paid a LOT of money to be that delusional. We should all be so lucky.

Ah, I can see it now

[Dixie_Flatline]

"Hi, I'd like to buy this"

"Sorry, we discontinued that five minutes ago, you can't have it"

"But--"

"Oop, I'm just hearing now that we're giving up on the store concept, you'll have to leave"

"Wait wh--"

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[PPH]

So, co-opting the Microsoft business model.

Google invades⦠Chelsea

[dislexic]

I heard this location will also be offering high definition rectal scans for a more personalized ad experience As an homage to the neighborhoodâ(TM)s Homo history

Get there fast

[sonstone]

All of the products will be discontinued in 6 months...

That could appeal to fans of irony

[Babel-17]

Using Google hardware, but ironically. Huh, all kidding aside, since the latest Pixel was based on the decision to use less than a flagship processor in their flagship phone, an ad campaign that used irony to describe their product line up, "Not the fastest, because we don't have to be", and suggesting that that attitude is beyond cool to the point of being downright frosty, might be the way to go.