Amazon Plans Hundreds of Brick-and-Mortar Bookstores

Amazon - The Original Store
Amazon – The Original Brick and Mortar Store

A rumor, but a rumor from a well-placed source. Would you go to a bookstore run by Amazon? I could see picking up a package perhaps (a drop-ship location for when you are not available at your home, or whatever).

After dipping its toes into brick-and-mortar retail last year by opening its first physical bookstore, Amazon.com Inc. could be diving into the deep end.

The Seattle company plans as many as 400 bookstores, Sandeep Mathrani, chief executive of large mall operator General Growth Properties Inc., said on an earnings call with analysts Tuesday.

“You’ve got Amazon opening brick-and-mortar bookstores and their goal is to open, as I understand, 300 to 400,” said Mr. Mathrani in response to a question about mall traffic.

That compares to the 640 stores Barnes & Noble Inc. operates and the 255 locations Books-A-Million Inc. said it had as of last summer. Both companies spent years building out their retail operations. In addition to its one bookstore, Amazon already has a presence in Westfield Corp. malls, where it has set up permanent kiosks selling devices, cases and branded apparel.

It wasn’t immediately clear how Mr. Mathrani got Amazon’s figure, but he could have potentially spoken with Amazon’s real-estate executives about their plans. A spokesman for Amazon declined to comment and a GGP spokesman had no immediate comment.

(click here to continue reading Amazon Plans Hundreds of Brick-and-Mortar Bookstores, Mall CEO Says – WSJ.)

Amazon Prime and The Pope
Amazon Prime and The Pope

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