Google has reportedly dropped plans to open its first retail store in New York City, according to Crain’s New York.
In 2014, Google leased a space on 131 Green St. in SoHo that was initially intended to serve as the flagship Google Store. After spending $6 million renovating the real estate, the company is now trying to sublease the 5,400-square-foot space to another tenant for $2.25 million per year.
“This is going to be a space for a brand at the top of their field,” said Michael Glanzberg, a principal at Sinvin Real Estate, the brokerage that is marketing the space.
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Google has not yet commented on the matter.
As far back as 2013, Google had been developing plans to launch retail stores in the U.S. similar to those operated by Apple. The company had largely been secretive in its plans, but the stores likely would have sold Google-branded electronics and hardware.
Contemporaries such as Amazon and Microsoft have made waves by opening brick-and-mortar stores of their own in recent weeks. Amazon opened its first physical location — an Amazon Books store — in Seattle, while Microsoft opened a Fifth Avenue location in New York.
It is unknown if Google will continue with these brick-and-mortar plans elsewhere. Google has dabbled in brick-and-mortar retailing in the past, but never with its own physical store. The Internet giant opened its first Google Shop in March, functioning as a store-within-a-store in a Currys PC World in London. At this location, the company sells Android phones and tablets, Chromebook laptops and Chromecast TV services.
Google also opened pop-up shops in numerous U.S. cities in 2013 to sell its products as part of its “Winter Wonderlab” experience.