Google is opening its first physical retail store this summer in NYC

Google is opening its first physical retail Google Store, the company announced today, which will debut in New York City this summer.

The new store will be located in Chelsea, as part of Google’s campus in that neighborhood (the company’s New York headquarters are already located there). The Google Store will display and sell a variety of Google products: Pixel phones, Nest smart home devices, Fitbit trackers, Pixelbooks, and more. Customers will also be able to order products through Google’s online stores and pick them up in person at the physical Google Store location.

Google has experimented with small pop-up stores and booths before to sell its products, but today’s store announcement marks a far more serious commitment to establishing a retail space.

Of course, it’s impossible to talk about Google opening a physical retail location without mentioning Apple’s own Apple Stores, from which it seems Google will be borrowing more than a few ideas.

Like an Apple Store, the new Google Store will showcase how Google’s products work together, offer in-store experts to help troubleshoot problems, assist with setups, work on repairs, and feature how-to workshops to make the most of Google’s products and services.

Google also notes that while the new store will allow customers to try out its hardware, it’ll still be taking precautions due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic when the store launches. Those measures include limiting the number of customers, regularly cleaning the store, and requiring that guests wear masks, socially distance from each other, and utilize hand sanitizer when in the store.

The Google Store in Chelsea is set to open to the public sometime over the summer. Google has yet to announce whether it’ll be expanding beyond the single location, but presumably, if successful, the Chelsea store may just be the first of many.