Amazon Going to Bricks-and-Mortar? (AMZN, BKS, WMT, TGT, AAPL)
Here we go again: the Good E-Reader blog is citing “sources close to the situation” for the story that Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN) is preparing to open a bricks-and-mortar store in Seattle. The rumored store would not be either bookstores in…
This post may contain links from our sponsors and affiliates, and Flywheel Publishing may receive compensation for actions taken through them.
Here we go again: the Good E-Reader blog is citing “sources close to the situation” for the story that Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN) is preparing to open a bricks-and-mortar store in Seattle. The rumored store would not be either bookstores in the mold of Barnes & Noble Inc. (NYSE: BKS) or big box outfits like those of Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT) and Target Corp. (NYSE: TGT).
The story is that Amazon would open boutique-style stores, carrying a limited number of “high margin and high-end items.” The flagship items would be Amazon’s Kindle family of e-readers and tablets.
The irony, of course, is that Amazon’s on-line model is killing bricks-and-mortar retailing, so why would the company want to do this? Could be a swipe at Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) and its hugely successful Apple Stores? After all, Amazon sees the Kindle Fire as a real competitor to Apple’s iPad and maybe it figures to boost sales by going the touchy-feely route. Stranger things have happened.
Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.
Paul Ausick has been writing for 247Wallst.com for more than a decade. He has written extensively on investing in the energy, defense, and technology sectors. In a previous life, he wrote technical documentation and managed a marketing communications group in Silicon Valley.
He has a bachelor's degree in English from the University of Chicago and now lives in Montana, where he fishes for trout in the summer and stays inside during the winter.