Don’t be fooled by the brick-and-mortar stores it’s got, this is still Amazon from the block. Or rather, the web. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos has promised to bring more of Amazon offline and into the physical sphere, though it’s unclear yet as to how many “more” really is. But don’t worry — Amazon isn’t leaving the internet behind. In addition to its brick and mortar expansion, Bezos says that he also wants to build upon perks for Amazon Prime members — so much, in fact, that he wants customers to feel that they “are being irresponsible” if they’re not paying $99 a year for membership.
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Amazon has expanded its business considerably in the last several months — from brick-and-mortar book stores to its own fashion brands, the internet retailer is proving that it’s much more than the CostCo of the web. And there are no signs of slowing. Speaking at Amazon’s annual shareholders meeting, Bezos said of his plans to open more storefronts, “In these early days it’s all about learning, rather than trying to earn a lot of revenue.”
While many brick-and-mortar stores haven’t had the best of luck in the last several months (due in large part to the stifling competition and lower prices offered by online sellers like … Amazon), Bezos may have a secret sauce for success when it comes to venturing outside of the internet. Already, the company plans to open a second physical bookstore, this time in Southern California (the original opened in Seattle late last year).
Bezos has also indicated that Amazon Web Services cloud computing unit alone is expected to hit $10 billion in sales this year, marking yet another area of high growth for the company.
There’s little word yet on the details of either the storefront expansion or the increased perks for Amazon Prime members, but with the way things have been going for the Seattle-based company, it seems that we have much to look forward to.
