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SALT LAKE CITY — Google will open retail stores in the U.S. by the end of this year, according to "an extremely reliable source's" confirmation to 9to5Google.
According to the report, published Friday, the mission of the stores will be to get current and upcoming Google products including the Nexus and Chrome into the hands of potential customers.
Google refuted claims of forthcoming store openings as recently as December, but the impetus for the change of mind was apparently the desire to get Google Glass to the public.
"Without being able to use them first hand, few non-techies would be interested in buying Google's glasses (which will retail from between $500 to $1,000). From there, the decision to sell other Google-branded products made sense," Seth Weintraub wrote for 9to5Google.
Google may be feeling pressure to compete with Apple and Microsoft, which both have dedicated brick-and-mortar stores. Apple CEO Tim Cook has said in the past that Apple Stores are the face of the company and give it an incredible edge.
Apple is expected to open another 30–40 stores in 2013, bringing its total to more than 390. Microsoft is planning on six store openings in 2013, including one in City Creek Center. That will bring Microsoft's total full-line store locations up to 37.
Many analysts reacted positively to the report, saying the new stores, expected to be open in major U.S. cities in time for the holidays, would raise the products' profile. While Google's Android system is already wildly popular, the company's hardware, sold through online retailers and smaller stores within Best Buy and Staples, lags behind.
Greg Sterling, an analyst with Opus Research, told PC World the strategy could help demonstrate the value of Google products, even if sales don't skyrocket.
"Google does not have as many products as Apple, but it has enough to justify a physical retail presence," he said.
