Amazon reportedly plans to launch an assault on the US high street by building up to 400 brick and mortar bookstores.
According to the Wall Street Journal (via CNBC), the online giant has plans to open 300 to 400 stores in major cities, following on from the opening of its first bookstore in Seattle last November.
The information comes from Sandeep Mathrani, the CEO of US mall operator General Growth Properties Inc, who apparently let Amazon’s plans slip while speaking with investors on Tuesday.
He said: “
Amazon has previously vowed that prices at its physical location would not vary from its highly discounted online prices.
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The report doesn’t mention a timeframe or potential locations for the stores, but if there’s 400 of them, it’s likely every major city in America will have one.
Any plans to launch a chain of book stores around the country is likely to be met with dismay and resistance from the remaining bookstore chains, who survived Amazon’s online onslaught.
The news comes at a trying time for Amazon following a disappointing earnings report last week. The answer to Amazon’s prayers being physical retail seems like an almighty longshot.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.