Google Opens Its First-Ever Store in This Big City It is appropriately called The Google Shop. Two more are set to open later in the year.
This story originally appeared on CNBC
Google has opened its first ever store in London as an increasing number of digital companies are looking to get closer to their consumers.
The Google Shop will be based in the store of U.K. electronics retailer Currys PC World on London's Tottenham Court Road – a street packed with tech and gadget retailers and a short distance from Apple's U.K. flagship store.
Android phones, tablets, Chromecasts as we well as other devices such as wearables running Google's Android operating system will be on sale.
As well as product sales, Google will display an "immersive" large screen installation called Portal where people can take a virtual trip through any part of the world using a tablet and Google Maps.
There will also be a wall where customers can use digital spray paint cans to doodle on the walls. There will also be a "Chromecast pod" where users can watch Google Play movies and YouTube videos.
"The pace of innovation of the devices we all use is incredible, yet the way we buy them has remained the same for years. With the Google shop, we want to offer people a place where they can play, experiment and learn about all of what Google has to offer," James Elias, the UK marketing director for Google, said in a press release.
Google also said it would arrange classes on topics such as online security, coding for children, and lessons on how devices work.
Two more Google Shops are set to open later in the year.
The Google Shop is just a 7 minute drive from Apple's U.K. flagship store on Regent Street and highlights the trend of digital companies opening physical shops. Amazon opened its first bricks and mortar store on the campus of Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana last month.
