Google has been selling its own hardware through the online Google Store for a few years now, but perhaps surprisingly, it"s never joined any of its competitors in also selling them at physical retail stores. That"s changing this summer, though, as the Mountain View giant has just announced that it"s opening its first-ever retail location in New York City soon.
The store will be located in Google"s Chelsea campus on the west side of Manhattan, where the company currently has over 11,000 employees. New York City is one of the prime locations for retail stores like this, with Microsoft and Apple also having their own.
As you might expect, the retail store will be used to showcase all kinds of Google products, including Pixel phones, Nest smart devices, and the fitness trackers from newly-acquired Fitbit. In addition to shopping, customers can also get service and support for their devices at the store, and Google says it will also have some workshops throughout the year to teach users about certain aspects of their devices.
You probably also expect some restrictions to still be in place in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, and that will apparently be the case. Google will be requiring masks and social distancing for users in the store, as well as the use of hand sanitizer to use the devices on display. Additionally, capacity will be limited so that everyone can keep a safe distance from other visitors.
Google didn"t give a more concrete date for its store to open, but summer isn"t too far off, so we may hear more in the near future.