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rfmcdonaldOne place in New York City that I was very curious to see was an Amazon Books, most specifically the chain's newest New York City location (opened in August of last year) on West 34th Street opposite the Empire State Building. I have been an intermittent customer of Amazon for almost fifteen years. What would a bricks-and-mortar location look like, especially one wholly Amazon in origin and not a recently bought chain with an established identity like Whole Foods?
It turns out that it looks a lot like an established high-end bookstore. All the books were facing out, with no spines that I could see, each book being classified not only by genre but by online ratings. The electronics section was large and abundant, with plenty of Kindles and Alexas on display. This translation of the online bookstore into the physical world seemed pretty faithful, actually. The store's most visible problem to me is that its paper shopping bags dissolve far too quickly in the rain.
It turns out that it looks a lot like an established high-end bookstore. All the books were facing out, with no spines that I could see, each book being classified not only by genre but by online ratings. The electronics section was large and abundant, with plenty of Kindles and Alexas on display. This translation of the online bookstore into the physical world seemed pretty faithful, actually. The store's most visible problem to me is that its paper shopping bags dissolve far too quickly in the rain.
