With hardly any noise (and few noticing) Google opens the first "Google Store"-- a "Chromezone" shop within a London PC World branch.
The polar opposite of over-hyped Apple retail launches, the small "shop within a shop" only sells Chromebooks and accessories (such as headphones) and will run for the 3 months leading to Christmas, the London Evening Standard reports.
Staffing the Chromezone are "specially trained Chromebook experts."
"It's still very, very early days" Arvind Desikan from Google UK says on this first step towards physical retail.
Other than the London "Chromezone," Chromebooks are only available online-- a business strategy questioned by Samsung. In fact, Google says 80% of laptop sales are through stores (according to its research).
A second similar store will open in Essex next week, and Google plans to open more pilot stores worldwide in the future. Should the Chromezone experiment be successful, it is very easy to imagine Google playing the Apple-style retail game, over-hyped Google-only stores and all. After all, Google now owns Motorola Mobility now...
Go Google's First Store Pops Up in London (London Evening Standard)
