Google Says, Sorry, No Plans For Brick and Mortar Stores

A couple of weeks ago, rumor got out that Google had plans to open up its own retail stores, a la Apple or Microsoft, and for the most part, it seemed to make a ton of sense. After all, what better way to get your products in the faces of consumers than going straight to them? There's also the fact that Android is a hot product, and Google has others that it'd no doubt like to push, such as Chromebook.

Well, while we thought it might have been a good idea, Google disagrees. Debunked by Google's Senior Vice President of Mobile and Digital Content Andy Rubin, he gave two big reasons why there'd be no point in Google launching its own retail stores.

The first reason might sound a little surpirsing. "[Consumers] don't have to go in the store and feel it anymore". When it comes to certain electronics, like televisions, camcorders or what-have-you, sometimes it is necessary to hit up a store and check it out in person. But a Nexus 7? Chances are fairly good that you know someone who has one, and as such have had the chance to check it out.

In theory, I can agree. But take a look at a company like Apple. Clearly, it doesn't need to make its precense felt. It'd be the ultimate rarity at this point to not know someone who owns an Apple product, so what reason do Apple stores have to exist? Obviously, they're cash cows for the company. Apple sells direct, not through a proxy. It can reap greater rewards, and give consumers an environment that may make them more likely to buy something.

But then there's Andy's other reason, "For Nexus, I don’t think the program is far enough along to think about the necessity of having these things in a retail store". This is true, but like a Microsoft store, couldn't Google just sell its partners products to help fill the shelves up? There are a billion Android devices on the market, so doing so wouldn't be too much of a problem.

Or perhaps this could all be based around the fact that if someone isn't buying Apple, they're probably buying Android, and thus will buy it wherever they can. Regardless, if Google continues to delve deeper into the hardware market, a retail store at some point wouldn't surprise me much.