Google first-ever permanent brick-and-mortar store opens in Manhattan, New York City, on Thursday, June 17. Take a look inside.<\/b>
\nPerhaps the most surprising thing about Google opening a retail store is that it\u2019s taken this long to do it. For sure, it had few gadgets to sell in its early days, and maybe it\u2019s been thinking hard about how to avoid the mistakes that felled Microsoft\u2019s brick-and-mortar efforts, but now the company has finally decided to take the plunge. The first-ever Google Store will open its doors at 15th and 9th in the Chelsea district of Manhattan, New York City, at 10 a.m. on Thursday, June 17. As you\u2019d expect, it all looks very stylish inside, at least according to a video posted by Google a day before the store\u2019s opening. In fact, with hordes of curious customers about to burst through its doors, it\u2019ll probably never look this good again. Visitors to the Google Store will be able to try out the company\u2019s full range of devices, from Pixel phones, Pixelbooks, and speakers to Nest devices, Fitbit wearables, and Stadia games. Features include the Google Imagination Space, described as a \u201c17-foot-tall circular glass structure with interactive screens\u201d showcasing a variety of Google products and technologies. It\u2019ll kick off a with a Google Translate exhibit offering a real-time translation into 24 languages of any phrase you care to utter, before explaining how Translate\u2019s artificial intelligence technology enables it to do this. You\u2019ll also find rooms that let you experience real-life scenarios using Google products \u2014 think demonstrations of Nest devices in a simulated living room, or a demo of Pixel\u2019s latest camera features inside a custom light installation \u2014 and s0-called Discovery Boxes designed to \u201chighlight the beauty form and features\u201d of Google devices while also offering more information about each product. Below: A gallery of images showing the interior of the new Google Store. Rather like the Apple Store and its Genius staff, Google\u2019s store includes a Here to Help support desk to assist with any Google-related issues you might have. The desk will also serve as a pick-up point for online orders and offer a range of repair services such as fixing cracked screens on Pixel phones. Again, taking a leaf out of Apple\u2019s book, the new store includes a special space for events and workshops that could include things like photography lessons on Pixel and YouTube concerts, Google said. With a previously stated commitment to sustainability, Google promises that the materials used to build the store have been carefully sourced. It\u2019s also keen to point out that the new store is one of fewer than 215 retail spaces in the world to have picked up a LEED Platinum rating, \u201cthe highest certification possible within the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design green building rating system,\u201d according to the company. In the past, Google has experimented with pop-up stores, but its new Manhattan site looks very much as if it\u2019s going to be sticking around. Having a retail store gives the company a chance to properly connect with customers, learning more about how they use its devices and what they\u2019d like to see from it in the future. Google hasn\u2019t said whether it plans to open more stores in the U.S. or globally. It\u2019s safe to say the new store\u2019s performance over the coming months will have a big influence on such a decision.<\/p>\n