As many retailers struggle to stay afloat in the aftermath of a pandemic, Google today opened the doors of its first-ever physical store in New York City.
The new space, located in the upscale Manhattan neighborhood of Chelsea, "will be a natural extension of our commitment to NYC and provide customers with hands-on interaction with our lineup of devices and services," according to a company blog post.
Built mostly to hawk products, the bright, open outlet also serves as a hub for learning, repairing, testing, troubleshooting, and, yes, if you're so inclined, shopping.
Google hopes to entice customers with physical and digital product displays in its windows, then impress them once inside with a 17-foot-tall circular structure known as Google Imagination Space. Home to a rotating series of interactive displays, the centerpiece currently features real-time translation of your speech into 24 languages simultaneously.
"We wanted our first store to reflect the same approach we take to designing our products: making sure they're always helpful to people," Google's Nathan Allen, head of store design and special projects, and Ivy Ross, vice president of hardware design, UX, and research, wrote in an announcement. "The result is a space we believe is warm and inviting, while providing new ways to celebrate and experience Google through our phones, displays, speakers, wearables, and more."
Visitors are invited to get hands-on with products and services, allowing them to play with Stadia, communicate with Nest, and tinker with Pixel. Stand in front of the Nest Gallery Wall, where all 35 of Google's home products are on display in their full range of colors and materials. Have a seat in a Sandbox, where you can interact with products like smart speakers, video games, and mobile cameras.
Unsure where to start? Want to know more about specific features? The Here to Help support desk can assist with any needs, including on-site Pixel repairs and troubleshooting.
"We're so incredibly proud of the work our teams have accomplished together since we first began this project almost four years ago, and we look forward to introducing Google's first store to the world," Ross and Allen wrote. The New York shop opens today at 10 a.m. ET.