The e-commerce website that put hundreds of bookstores out of business is opening a brick-and-mortar store in Lakeview next year, according to a report from the Chicago Tribune. Amazon is bringing its Amazon Books store to the former home of the Mystic Celt restaurant and bar, located at 3443 North Southport Avenue.
The store will be the second location of Amazon Books—the first location opened last year in Seattle, Washington, not far from the company's headquarters. Amazon stocks its physical stores based on customer ratings, pre-orders and sales data derived from its online store, arranging books in displays that prominently feature customer ratings and reviews. The store will also sell Amazon's full line of devices, including Kindle, Echo, Fire TV, and Fire Tablet. Pricing will be exactly the same as Amazon's online store, without the extra shipping costs.
In a city that still boasts plenty of beloved local bookstores, a new bookstore run by Amazon seems a bit unnecessary. Only time will tell if the company's physical retail experience will prove to be as popular as its speedy Prime shipping.