The Google Store at 9th Ave. and 15th St. in New York City is now open but I got preview look of the space just a few days prior.
Just a stone’s throw from the 14th St. Apple Store, you would think this placement would nearly be about competition, but it is hardly so. The Google campus has already been a staple of the Chelsea neighborhood and a tourist attraction for at least 20 years. Part retail store, part experience space, many may be wondering what the is point of Google having a store. But why not, when many brands do similar things to ingratiate consumers to their products?
OnePlus is known for its popups across several cities in many countries. Samsung 837, a similar experience store, is also not far from this area in NYC, for a trifecta of competition.
Adhering to safety measures, the various experience rooms have motion detectors that trigger opening doors when someone waves a hand over the shaped icon. Various rooms let customers test out Google’s Stadia gaming platforms and simulate their various Nest smart home products.
The latest Pixel smartphones and PixelBook are also on display for testing, in addition to a number of accessories. Products are available for sale, as are various Google-branded gifts.
Customers will also be able to come to the location to get help with troubleshooting and repair of devices and to attend workshops to learn more about best practices for their products.
It will be interesting to see how the Google Store fares over time, but neighboring Chelsea Market and the Starbucks Roastery isn’t a bad setup.
