As in New York, Amazon has adapted its latest brick-and-mortar retail concept to a store’s local area, but the company likely has further to go as a merchandiser.
The haphazard nature of the assortment stems from the very approach: Many of Amazon’s most popular items are run-of-the-mill consumer goods. “It’s definitely a compelling concept and will no doubt garner attention,” Doug Stephens, founder and president of the Retail Prophet advisory firm, told Retail Dive in an email. “That said, I don’t see this on the same plane as a Story concept, in that the most popular products on Amazon are also likely to be the least unique and surprising — which I believe true retail magic is all about.”
