Report: Google planning to launch retail stores
Google is offering a free 'scan and match' service for storing digital music.(Photo: KAREN BLEIER AFP/Getty Images)
Google may be joining the likes of Apple and Microsoft in entering the physical retail marketplace.
The Wall Street Journal reports[1] the search titan is planning to launch retail stores in the U.S., citing "people familiar with the matter." The report does not say when the first Google store would open, but notes they would likely sell company-branded devices.
As the report points out, Google would have several options for technology to showcase in potential stores, such as Chromebook laptops and Google TV.
Apple is the prime example of a tech company benefiting from a shift to physical retail. The company has opened hundreds of stores around the world, the majority of which reside in the U.S.
Microsoft has also opened several retail stores in North America, featuring its Windows 8 operating system and new line of Surface tablets.
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