Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon.com, at the launch of the kindle in 2010
The successful online business will open the store in Seattle, which is where Amazon has its headquarters, according to the Good E Reader blog.
Analysts said the rumoured move may be inspired by the success of Apple Inc, which has hundreds of its own glitzy stores to show off iPhones, iPads and other gadgets.
The shop is expected to concentrate on selling books from Amazon’s own growing line of publishing, as well as Kindles and other e-readers, the report suggests.
It will be “boutique style”, concentrating on selling products at the more expensive end of the market, and products with a higher mark up.
Sky News technology blogger Christer Holloman has said such an expansion would make strategic sense.
“We live in a here-and-now culture, people hate waiting. The key ‘unique selling point’ high street retailers offer over online shopping is the ability to offer immediate delivery of goods.
“It makes perfect sense that Amazon is not going for the Argos-style shop you might have expected, considering the range they sell, but instead for something more up market, more curated.”
He said that he would expect a “boutique feeling”, adding: “As a recently-published author, hardcover simply feels so much more real compared to e-books!”
Another analyst, Colin Sebastian of RW Baird, said: “I don’t expect to see a bunch of Amazon super-centres any time soon.
“But seeing Apple’s success with retail and realising that Amazon is more than just an ‘e-tailer’ now, it’s smart for them to explore the opportunity.”
The move to open a shop may also be prompted by the company’s decision to set up as a publisher, with rivals in the US saying they will not be selling Amazon’s books.
source: skynews
