Jokes aside, Google actually has 13 devices for sale on the Play Store. With the addition of Glass and a smartwatch I think they can easily fill out a retail store.
Filling out a retail store is not the same as selling stuff in a retail store.
Yes that is... They even sell it for such price,but it's just a browser with a Celeron and 16 GB of storage, average battery life and a high res display. It's such shit that they make a just a few thousand of them and are selling them to these days... They even gave away 5000 of them for free on gogle io 2013.
gogle never feels shamefull for stealing.. Android itself, the chrome book pixel, even that freaking iOS7 lock screen shortcut to camera is copied in the android kitkat to the last pixel... Oh no iOS7 shortcut got a an empty dot on it... Wow google surprised me with theirs originality:
Jokes aside, Google actually has 13 devices for sale on the Play Store. With the addition of Glass and a smartwatch I think they can easily fill out a retail store.
13 Devices are barely enough to warrant a push-cart on Madison Avenue.
No, I think the so-called "retail store" is actually going to be a docking-point for people to fly into the sky and visit all the cloud storage that Google just cut the prices on.
Will Google actually carry any inventory at this store?
Or will it function more like those pop up stores they opened over the holidays? Y'know, the ones where a customer could try a product out, but if they actually wanted to buy something, they could only order it online and have it shipped.
One of the big points of having B&M stores is the instant gratification of being able to make a purchase and take it home immediately. The stores also serve as a point of contact for aftersales support, such as returns, repairs, advice, and training. These functions are where Apple has excelled, and the retail stores have greatly contributed to the company's bottomline and its brand image.
Google's previous experience with their pop up stores was more about promotion and the wow factor of showing off their devices, with the actual purchase and aftersales support shunting the customer over to the online world. If that's Google's vision of retailing, they'll have a rude awakening.
Retail is not an easy nut to crack. And Google's history with retail sales seems like a geek utopia of automating the entire process and minimizing human interaction as much as possible. Recall the customer service fiasco with the Nexus One, where Google did not provide any phone or real time contacts to support the device (and took upwards of three days to answer e-mail). They do rely on humans to evangelize their products and technology. But, the nuts and bolts process of making the sale at a retail store and then supporting that sale afterwards requires human-to-human grunt work, an area that seems contrary to Google's way of doing business.
gogle never feels shamefull for stealing.. Android itself, the chrome book pixel, even that freaking iOS7 lock screen shortcut to camera is copied in the android kitkat to the last pixel... Oh no iOS7 shortcut got a an empty dot on it... Wow google surprised me with theirs originality:
It's ironic that your iOS screenshot includes the live wallpaper that Apple copied from Google's “Phase Beam” live wallpaper.
Has google's share gone UP yet?!! I am sure ANALysts have gone crazy over this GREAT news!
On similar note:
1. Larry Page figured no one would give shit to visit their stores EXCEPT android users who were born cheap and freebies lovers! So, no $$ come from them! But, if they are close to Apple, a few classy people might drop by google store! They won't spend a dime there but still they can say hey we are busy!
2. Larry Page's biggest dream is to take over Apple! Yes. Ask him if you don't believe me. But as this is only a dream-never-come-true, Larry gets brain orgasm even building a store close to Apple .... and he knows this is as close as he can ever get to Apple.
Here we go. Google now following Microsoft in their train wreck of copycat Apple stores. Have these companies no ideas or imagination of their own? Enough said.
Everyone here has made good points. Google has little to sell and mainly just gives away a mobile operating system. The deck is decidedly stacked against the success of this idea. It seems foolish. So why?
Because Google is scared as hell. Apple, and all it does well including retail, could very well eat Google's lunch. This is pure and simple a desperation move. A last ditch effort to hope for supremacy.
It will actually play very well into Apple's hands. When people can compare side by side and see what Apple does against Google, and see a Google Store is empty while Apple's is full it will only accentuate the differences and not in a way that will be favorable to Google. Bring it ON!
It's called 'laying the foundation' people. So what if they have 13 products only to sell? Soon they'll be selling contact lens, Google Glass, robots, self-drive cars... those things take up space!
An Amazon retail store would make as much sense (which is none at all). When the Nexus One was released, it was supposed to usher in the golden age of ordering and supporting phones over the Web. Guess not.
The only logical purpose for a Google Store is to establish a place where they can physically collect DNA samples, retinal scans, passport copies, and full body scans. Loyalty program customers can also get "chipped" for full 24x7 surveillance. This will allow Google to collect and package for resale the last vestiges of personally identifiable and privacy information that they don't already have about their customer base, or as they call it, their "information farm."
No doubt it will be a space for demonstrating not just hardware but the.Google software (including acquisitions like Nik image plugins) to the public. Soho is an area where there are many clothing designer's "retail" spaces and high end brands showcases, but really 90% of what goes on in some of those places is spreading knowledge of their latest lines to their niche, who enjoy checkng it out but would never buy something there. There is definitely plenty of purchasing going on in the neighborhood but spaces that are very elaborate but don't rely on selling product at that location to make it a worthwhile expense are common.
They'll no doubt sell whatever is available to sell, but I think it's more about showing the uneducated public the rest of it. Soho is a mecca for foot traffic, especially international tourists. Lots of walking in and out of inviting looking storefronts. Not really that much pulling out of credit cards, though obviously some. The Apple Store really became somewhat of a hub there. Makes plenty of sense that people leaving the Apple Store will want to see what's going on over there. Whether they buy something is really not the point.
No doubt it will be a space for demonstrating not just hardware but the.Google software (including acquisitions like Nik image plugins) to the public. Soho is an area where there are many clothing designer's "retail" spaces and high end brands showcases, but really 90% of what goes on in some of those places is spreading knowledge of their latest lines to their niche, who enjoy checkng it out but would never buy something there. There is definitely plenty of purchasing going on in the neighborhood but spaces that are very elaborate but don't rely on selling product at that location to make it a worthwhile expense are common.
They'll no doubt sell whatever is available to sell, but I think it's more about showing the uneducated public the rest of it. Soho is a mecca for foot traffic, especially international tourists. Lots of walking in and out of inviting looking storefronts. Not really that much pulling out of credit cards, though obviously some. The Apple Store really became somewhat of a hub there. Makes plenty of sense that people leaving the Apple Store will want to see what's going on over there. Whether they buy something is really not the point.
I could se that: sort of a stand-alone Genius Bar to generate buzz, hence the location, rather than direct over the counter sales...
Comments
I fully expect Google to announce massive losses connected to both their retail efforts and Google Glass in a year or two.
On news of which, Google's stock to rise 5%.
Jokes aside, Google actually has 13 devices for sale on the Play Store. With the addition of Glass and a smartwatch I think they can easily fill out a retail store.
Filling out a retail store is not the same as selling stuff in a retail store.
Add: Btw, does anyone else think that the Chromebook Pixel (https://play.google.com/store/devices/details?id=chromebook_pixel_wifi) is, except for the lack of rounded corners, a stunningly blatant rip-off of the MacBook Pro?
Yes that is... They even sell it for such price,but it's just a browser with a Celeron and 16 GB of storage, average battery life and a high res display. It's such shit that they make a just a few thousand of them and are selling them to these days... They even gave away 5000 of them for free on gogle io 2013.
gogle never feels shamefull for stealing.. Android itself, the chrome book pixel, even that freaking iOS7 lock screen shortcut to camera is copied in the android kitkat to the last pixel... Oh no iOS7 shortcut got a an empty dot on it... Wow google surprised me with theirs originality:
Jokes aside, Google actually has 13 devices for sale on the Play Store. With the addition of Glass and a smartwatch I think they can easily fill out a retail store.
13 Devices are barely enough to warrant a push-cart on Madison Avenue.
No, I think the so-called "retail store" is actually going to be a docking-point for people to fly into the sky and visit all the cloud storage that Google just cut the prices on.
http://forums.appleinsider.com/t/164216/google-drive-slashes-paid-storage-prices-turning-up-the-heat-on-rival-dropbox
/s.
Will Google actually carry any inventory at this store?
Or will it function more like those pop up stores they opened over the holidays? Y'know, the ones where a customer could try a product out, but if they actually wanted to buy something, they could only order it online and have it shipped.
One of the big points of having B&M stores is the instant gratification of being able to make a purchase and take it home immediately. The stores also serve as a point of contact for aftersales support, such as returns, repairs, advice, and training. These functions are where Apple has excelled, and the retail stores have greatly contributed to the company's bottomline and its brand image.
Google's previous experience with their pop up stores was more about promotion and the wow factor of showing off their devices, with the actual purchase and aftersales support shunting the customer over to the online world. If that's Google's vision of retailing, they'll have a rude awakening.
Retail is not an easy nut to crack. And Google's history with retail sales seems like a geek utopia of automating the entire process and minimizing human interaction as much as possible. Recall the customer service fiasco with the Nexus One, where Google did not provide any phone or real time contacts to support the device (and took upwards of three days to answer e-mail). They do rely on humans to evangelize their products and technology. But, the nuts and bolts process of making the sale at a retail store and then supporting that sale afterwards requires human-to-human grunt work, an area that seems contrary to Google's way of doing business.
It's ironic that your iOS screenshot includes the live wallpaper that Apple copied from Google's “Phase Beam” live wallpaper.
Probably will be as empty as every Microsoft store!
Has google's share gone UP yet?!! I am sure ANALysts have gone crazy over this GREAT news!
On similar note:
1. Larry Page figured no one would give shit to visit their stores EXCEPT android users who were born cheap and freebies lovers! So, no $$ come from them! But, if they are close to Apple, a few classy people might drop by google store! They won't spend a dime there but still they can say hey we are busy!
2. Larry Page's biggest dream is to take over Apple! Yes. Ask him if you don't believe me. But as this is only a dream-never-come-true, Larry gets brain orgasm even building a store close to Apple .... and he knows this is as close as he can ever get to Apple.
No! Not another mega corporate store on or around Broadway. Thank god for the zoning laws keeping them at bay.
Because Google is scared as hell. Apple, and all it does well including retail, could very well eat Google's lunch. This is pure and simple a desperation move. A last ditch effort to hope for supremacy.
It will actually play very well into Apple's hands. When people can compare side by side and see what Apple does against Google, and see a Google Store is empty while Apple's is full it will only accentuate the differences and not in a way that will be favorable to Google. Bring it ON!
Who else can afford to pay those rents? My favorite watering hole Gonzalez y Gonzalez had to move from there after many years.
It's called 'laying the foundation' people. So what if they have 13 products only to sell? Soon they'll be selling contact lens, Google Glass, robots, self-drive cars... those things take up space!
Smile for the camera and say "moo."
They'll no doubt sell whatever is available to sell, but I think it's more about showing the uneducated public the rest of it. Soho is a mecca for foot traffic, especially international tourists. Lots of walking in and out of inviting looking storefronts. Not really that much pulling out of credit cards, though obviously some. The Apple Store really became somewhat of a hub there. Makes plenty of sense that people leaving the Apple Store will want to see what's going on over there. Whether they buy something is really not the point.
No doubt it will be a space for demonstrating not just hardware but the.Google software (including acquisitions like Nik image plugins) to the public. Soho is an area where there are many clothing designer's "retail" spaces and high end brands showcases, but really 90% of what goes on in some of those places is spreading knowledge of their latest lines to their niche, who enjoy checkng it out but would never buy something there. There is definitely plenty of purchasing going on in the neighborhood but spaces that are very elaborate but don't rely on selling product at that location to make it a worthwhile expense are common.
They'll no doubt sell whatever is available to sell, but I think it's more about showing the uneducated public the rest of it. Soho is a mecca for foot traffic, especially international tourists. Lots of walking in and out of inviting looking storefronts. Not really that much pulling out of credit cards, though obviously some. The Apple Store really became somewhat of a hub there. Makes plenty of sense that people leaving the Apple Store will want to see what's going on over there. Whether they buy something is really not the point.
I could se that: sort of a stand-alone Genius Bar to generate buzz, hence the location, rather than direct over the counter sales...
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