Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Latest News
    • Mobile

    Google Planning to Open Retail Stores: Report

    Written by

    Todd R. Weiss
    Published February 19, 2013
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      eWEEK content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.

      Google is in the midst of planning its own branded brick-and-mortar stores in an unknown number of major cities across the United States, just in time for the 2013 Christmas shopping season, according to a report by 9to5google.com.

      “An extremely reliable source has confirmed to us that Google is in the process of building stand-alone retail stores in the U.S. and hopes to have the first flagship Google Stores open for the holidays in major metropolitan areas,” the post reported. “The mission of the stores is to get new Google Nexus, Chrome, and especially upcoming products into the hands of prospective customers. Google feels right now that many potential customers need to get hands-on experience with its products before they are willing to purchase. Google competitors Apple and Microsoft both have retail outlets where customers can try before they buy.”

      The stores, which would compete with Apple retail stores and traditional electronics retailers such as Best Buy and h.h.gregg, would allow the company to feature its own products without any distractions.

      Google does already sell some of its products, such as Chromebooks and Android phones and tablets, inside many Best Buy stores across the nation and on the BestBuy.com Website. Google also sells such products in some 50 PCWorld/Dixon stores in the United Kingdom, according to 9to5google. The upcoming Google stores would “operate independently and make direct sales to customers from Google like the Nexus online store does currently,” the site reported.

      The idea for the proposed stand-alone product stores arose as Google began its plans to market its still-in-development Google Glass project, 9to5google reported. “The leadership thought consumers would need to try Google Glass firsthand to make a purchase. Without being able to use them firsthand, few nontechies would be interested in buying Google’s glasses (which will retail from between $500 to $1,000). From there, the decision to sell other Google-branded products made sense.”

      The Website even pointed to a Google job listing that’s seeking a software engineer to help develop retail point-of-sale systems, though that job is located in London and not in the United States.

      Declining an emailed request for more information from eWEEK, a Google spokeswoman said: “We don’t comment on rumor or speculation.”

      Apple is one of Google’s key competitors that has had a successful history with running its own chain of stores to sell its own products.

      Apple opened its first two Apple Stores May 19, 2001, and now operates some 390 stores, including 28 that are outside the United States, according to a report from AppleInsider.com.

      Microsoft also United States and Canada.

      The growth of Google’s Android mobile operating system platform is surely a motivating factor in the company’s long-term goals for any kind of retail strategy. In the third quarter of 2012, Android was loaded on 75 percent of the 181.1 million smartphones that shipped around the world, according to research by IDC. That market share was five times the 14.9 percent market share of Apple’s iOS for the same period.

      The IDC report shows remarkable progress for the four-year-old Android OS against competition that includes the still-strong popularity of Apple iOS, a drastically smaller BlackBerry market, Microsoft’s multiple Windows Phone efforts and the rest of a straggling field.

      Android was on 136 million smartphones shipped in the quarter, compared with 26.9 million smartphones shipped by Apple, according to the report. For Android, that was a 91.5 percent year-over-year jump from the 71 million Android smartphones shipped in the same quarter one year ago.

      Android use has been going through the roof worldwide. In fact, Android hit 500 million device activations overall in mid-September of 2012, just as Apple’s latest iPhone 5 was about to launch.

      The U.S. market for feature-rich smartphones is still expanding at a rapid clip, with two-thirds of new mobile phone buyers opting for devices that can do far more than their old-style flip phones, according to a study from Nielsen released in July 2012.

      Todd R. Weiss
      Todd R. Weiss
      Todd R. Weiss is a seasoned technology journalist with over 15 years of experience covering enterprise IT. Since 2014, he has been a senior writer at eWEEK.com, specializing in mobile technology, smartphones, tablets, laptops, cloud computing, and enterprise software. Previously, he was a staff writer for Computerworld.com from 2000 to 2008, reporting on a wide range of IT topics. Throughout his career, Weiss has written extensively about innovations in mobile tech, cloud platforms, security, and enterprise software, providing insightful analysis to help IT professionals and businesses navigate the evolving technology landscape. His work has appeared in numerous leading publications, offering expert commentary and in-depth analysis on emerging trends and best practices in IT.

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Artificial Intelligence

      9 Best AI 3D Generators You Need...

      Sam Rinko - June 25, 2024 0
      AI 3D Generators are powerful tools for many different industries. Discover the best AI 3D Generators, and learn which is best for your specific use case.
      Read more
      Cloud

      RingCentral Expands Its Collaboration Platform

      Zeus Kerravala - November 22, 2023 0
      RingCentral adds AI-enabled contact center and hybrid event products to its suite of collaboration services.
      Read more
      Artificial Intelligence

      8 Best AI Data Analytics Software &...

      Aminu Abdullahi - January 18, 2024 0
      Learn the top AI data analytics software to use. Compare AI data analytics solutions & features to make the best choice for your business.
      Read more
      Latest News

      Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

      James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
      I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
      Read more
      Video

      Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

      James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
      I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2024 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×