Amazon.com Inc (NASDAQ:AMZN) is planning to open a number of physical department stores in the US in an effort to expand into bricks-and-mortar retail, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday.
The first stores are expected to open in Ohio and California, the WSJ said, citing people familiar with the matter. The new retail spaces would be smaller than most department stores but larger than the e-commerce giant’s existing grocery shops and would sell top consumer brands.
According to the Telegraph, analysts are speculating that Amazon would eventually bring the project to the UK if it proves successful.
"They have been ramping up their grocery plans, real estate is super cheap. Their private label ambitions know no bounds. It would be a natural next progression," Miya Knights, retail analyst and author, told the Telegraph.
“The UK is the most mature market outside of America - comparable in terms of consumer profile - and has big penetration for online retail as a proportion of total retail sales,” Knight said.