The clothing retailer that used to occupy 72 Spring Street in New York’s trendy Soho neighbourhood went bankrupt almost four years ago. A pop-up lingerie outlet was there for a while, but when it moved on, the site seemingly became another empty store front. On Thursday morning, however, a new flag was hanging from the pole by the store’s entrance: Amazon 4-star.
Inside is an emporium of Amazon’s best-selling and most highly rated items, from $4 batteries to $1,300 laptops.
While bricks and mortar space constraints mean the store inevitably stocks millions fewer items than Amazon online, it is much more of a physical representation of Amazon’s website than its book shops . The range is broad: among the ragbag are toy dinosaurs, fitness trackers, headphones, gift cards and drones.
Cash is not accepted, and prices are updated in real time. But the shopping experience is still largely conventional — certainly more so than the cashierless Amazon Go grocery stores.
The big innovation in New York, however, is the product selection, guided by Amazon algorithms and its wealth of customer data.
Cameron Janes, who oversees the company’s physical shops, said he believed the location marked a new concept in retail.
“We believe at Amazon in doing experiments — the more experiments you do, the more inventions you’re going to come up with.”
He said the 4-star store was not a pop-up, but added that the company would consider customer feedback before committing to more openings.
“This is day one for us,” he said.
Blenders, vacuums and ‘Crazy Rich Asians’
The eclectic store includes a desk promoting items Amazon knows are po[CENSORED]r locally. In New York, that means a $60 blender, a handheld vacuum cleaner and the Crazy Rich Asians novel trilogy. An Amazon Basics section offers cables and chargers. On the seasonal “Most Haunted” shelves are face paint and an ornamental pumpkin.
Elsewhere, Amazon’s own products, such as Fire TV, Kindle and Alexa devices, get a good showing.
Items carry tags with a star rating and the number of customer reviews, as well as two prices: a regular one and a special deal for Prime members.
Some products also feature labels with glowing customer comments from the website. “Best set of whisks I have ever owned,” is a typical excerpt.
On Thursday, many shoppers had wandered in off the street, although some enthusiasts had learnt of the opening less than 24 hours earlier and visited specially.
Among them was Issac Lacey, 20, who described the store as “really cool”.
“There’s a huge variety,” he said. “It’d be good for last-minute Christmas shopping.”
Olivia Hunter, a student, was reassured by the quality of the stock. “You do see products in a different light” when they all carry good reviews, she said.
Not everyone was so impressed. Bertrand Leseigneur, a consultant from France who said he would be reporting back to retail sector clients, gave the concept only “five or six months”.
“I think they’re trying to sell Amazon Prime more than the products,” he said, noting the often sizeable discounts for members.
‘I don’t think Amazon is the bad guy’
The 4-star store is one of several physical retail concepts Amazon is exploring as it continues to upend the industry. With traditional retailers in Soho still absorbing the shock of ecommerce — as well as high rents — the irony of Amazon’s latest presence was not lost on many of its customers.
“I don’t think Amazon is the bad guy,” said Michael Ashton, who was sporting one of the store’s signature yellow-and-black bags. “I’m the one that’s using it, so I’m just as culpable.”
The 34-year-old, who works for an advertising company above the shop, had purchased a Wonder Woman mug for a colleague.
Like other ecommerce company ventures in bricks and mortar, the new Amazon store shows how the online revolution has come full circle.
Some customers accustomed to shopping online noted the attractions of being able to buy an item instantly — and the ability to touch and feel products before making a purchase.
“Pictures and reviews aren’t enough,” said Daniel Shaulzon, 24, who heard about the opening on Facebook. The in-real-life retail experience, he said, was “like going back to the old days”.