Google’s first ever retail location is a playground for tech lovers
We’ve heard murmurings that Google has wanted to explore physical retail stores for years, but there hasn’t been a solid reason to do so to this point. But with a large army of Android phones and tablets, the advent of Android Wear and virtual reality headsets, and the #1 gadget of recent years Chromecast, the company has good reason to start testing the waters.
CNBC reports Google has done just that with their first ever retail presence. It’s not a full-blown store, mind you, but a mere corner inside of Curry’s PC World, one of the UK’s biggest electronics retailer. The exact location is on Tottenham Court Road in case you’re eager to take a visit.
It’ll have everything you’d imagine a tech store would have — demo areas for phones, tablets, computers and smart watches. There’s more to it than just tables filled with tech, though (we’re looking at you, Apple store). Google apparently has Chromecast “pods” to check out video, and even a huge video board where you can do some digital spray painting. Or perhaps going on a virtual trip through Google Maps using the “Portal” is more your thing.
It sounds extremely cool, and we hope Google can expand this experience to more regions over time. We imagine Google will add a lot more to this experience in the future should the store prove successful, such as being a one-stop shop for getting some Project Ara modules, or a place to get fitted for Google Glass whenever the consumer version arrives.
Still, all of that depends on Google’s success. It won’t be easy — Samsung will tell you that much — but if Google can establish a strong retail presence then it could be the single most exciting place to check out all the latest innovations in tech. Fingers crossed!