The first Google Store has a space for customers to play Stadia games
What you need to know
- Google shows off its first retail store a day before its grand opening.
- The store will include help desk support, on-site Pixel repair, workshops, and much more.
- The Google store is located in NYC and opens tomorrow, June 17.
Google's NYC store has its grand opening tomorrow, June 17, and the company is providing a sneak peek at what to expect from its first brick-and-mortar retail experience.
Before stepping into the store, customers will be met with Discovery Boxes along the windows, which showcase some of its products. On this inside, these boxes will provide customers with helpful information on products with the help of transparent LED displays.
Stepping into the space, it's apparent that Google's retail experience is all about interaction. Products will be displayed throughout the store, not unlike what one would find at the Apple Store, allowing users to play around with devices like the Google Pixel 5, the best Chromebooks, or even some of Google's smart home products on the Nest Gallery Wall. There's even a 17-foot glass structure called the Imagination Space that features interactive touch screens to showcase products.
Google takes the interaction a step further with its Sandbox rooms. These are spaces that allow customers to try out Google products in "real-life scenarios." The Nest Sandbox will simulate a living space filled with Nest products to showcase how they can help around the house. The Stadia Sandbox is a gaming space that lets customers try out some of the best Google Stadia games, and the Pixel Sandbox lets customers take photos with Pixel devices to showcase the camera features.
The Google Store will also include spaces for customers to learn and get help. The Google Store Here to Help support team can help customers troubleshoot issues with their devices and even provide on-site Pixel repair. And Google's Workshop space will host helpful demos, events, and more so that customers can get the most out of their products.
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Google says that the new retail store was designed with sustainability in mind. The store features energy-efficient lighting, responsibly sourced hickory for the walls, sustainable carpeting, and wood furniture created by a local craftsman.
"Every element of the Google Store — the materials, building processes, mechanical systems and more — was painstakingly considered and selected." As a result, the Google Store has received the highest possible rating from the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification program.
The new Google Store opens in New York City on June 17.
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Derrek is the managing editor of Android Central, helping to guide the site's editorial content and direction to reach and resonate with readers, old and new, who are just as passionate about tech as we are. He's been obsessed with mobile technology since he was 12, when he discovered the Nokia N90, and his love of flip phones and new form factors continues to this day. As a fitness enthusiast, he has always been curious about the intersection of tech and fitness. When he's not working, he's probably working out.