After opening its first physical bookstore last year in Seattle, Amazon is opening a second bricks and mortar outpost in San Diego, Calif. The San Diego Union Tribune reported that the new store will open this summer.
The San Diego location, like the Seattle one, is called Amazon Books, and is located in an upscale mall near a college campus. Whereas the Seattle store is near the University of Washington, the San Diego location, in the Westfield UTC Mall, is close to the San Diego campus of the University of California.
The new store is opening on the heels of rumors that Amazon was planning a major investment in bricks and mortar bookstores. In February, the CEO of a mall operator called General Growth Strategies mentioned that the retail giant was planning to open 300-400 bookstores.
Although the CEO, Sandy Mathrani, quickly backpedaled, and Amazon declined to comment, the remark fueled widespread speculation about the tech giant's plans. Talk about Amazon's investment in physical retailing was further stoked by the discovery that, following Mathrani's comment, the e-tailer posted a number of job openings for booksellers in the San Diego area.
The newest iteration of Amazon Books, according to the Tribune, will be located at 4545 La Jolla Village Drive. It will be neighbors, in the outdoor shopping mall where its taking up residence, with a Tesla store and Apple store. Amazon spokesperson Sarah Gelman told the paper to "stay tuned" for more details about the outlet.
