Amazon opens its first-ever physical store with Seattle book shop

Amazon will soon open the doors on its first-ever brick-and-mortar store in its 20-year history.

The shop, which will sell books and Amazon devices, is in its hometown of Seattle, located close to the University of Washington.

Having a real-life store largely goes against the online retail giant’s strategy to date, which has allowed it to undercut traditional retailers saddled with overheads like property and store staff.

But a physical presence means Amazon could reach a huge chunk of US shoppers who still shop offline. The likes of Wal-Mart and Costco still sell millions of books in their stores, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Amazon reckons it can combine the best of both worlds with Amazon Books, using data to stock its shelves.