Amazon 4-Star Retailer | World Branding Discussion board % %
IMAGE SOURCE – AMAZON
Amazon expands its presence in the high street and opens its first non-food store in the UK – Amazon 4-Star. The shop is located in the Bluewater Shopping Center near Dartford. Amazon will sell around 2,000 of its most popular and top-rated products there.
The name of the store, Amazon 4-Star, was chosen because every item in stock has been given more than four stars by customers. This will be the first Amazon 4-star store outside of the US, which already has more than 30 stores.
The range of products, which includes books, consumer electronics, toys, games, and housewares, reflects the online purchase of Amazon customers. For example, there is a “Most Wished For” area, in which the most popular products from customers’ wish lists are displayed. Digital price tags are used to ensure that prices are the same in-store and online. Buyers don’t need to have an Amazon account to use it. Customers can also pick up items ordered online and return items without packaging or labels.
Andy Jones, director of Amazon 4 Star UK, has not yet confirmed how many more stores he plans to open in the UK. However, we expect the expansion of these stores into the UK to be a positive sign of the brand’s development.
This global giant is often accused of killing the high street by refurbishing store-bought items and previously only selling products online. Now they are enhancing their appearance by moving to a retail store. Perhaps the expansion of Amazon into a mall can provide more stimulus to get back to the high street.
Retail expert Natalie Berg said the Amazon move is “all about experimentation.” Amazon has already opened six grocery convenience stores with till-free technology in the UK. Berg said the jury has not yet decided whether Amazon can take on one of the most basic retail roles – running business. “The store has a hodgepodge of products, the result of Amazon’s very scientific, data-driven approach to physical retail, but when you leave out the hi-tech accents, I have a hard time seeing how it differs from any other retailer,” says Mrs. Berg.
However, landlords can welcome the move as they try to find new players for empty stores, driven mainly by our online shopping habits. Maybe Amazon can make a change in the personal industry.
