Amazon store

AMAZON GETS PHYSICAL? Much buzz in the retail sphere after today's Wall St. Journal story about a planned Amazon (brick-and-mortar) store on 34th Street in Manhattan. The location would enable online orders to be complemented by in-store pickup and local delivery, but its primary purpose, as the article contends, is branding for the online giant. As a landmark located near the Empire State Building and the flagship Macy's, the destination would draw throngs of tourists. Amazon isn't confirming or denying reports of an NYC storefront, and some sources have suggested the location will be a pop-up store rather than a full-time outlet. But if, as WSJ writer Greg Bensinger suggests in his piece, the plan is for something more extended (the details of the lease have thus far not been made public), it could present a new opportunity for music—particularly vinyl. (10/9p)