Amazon Launches First Physical Store In MA

Amazon opens 4-star store in Massachusetts

Amazon has opened its first physical store in Massachusetts.

Located at the Natick Mall in Natick, Massachusetts, the 4-star store is the fifth physical location nationwide for the eCommerce giant. The first location opened in New York City last September, followed by Lone Tree, Colorado, Berkeley, California, and Seattle, Washington.

“We created Amazon 4-star to be a place where customers can discover products they will love. Amazon 4-star’s selection is a direct reflection of our customers — what they’re buying and what they’re loving,” the company wrote in a blog post at the time.

Every product in the stores are rated 4 stars and above, is a top seller or is new and trending on Amazon’s online platform. The products are from the top categories across all of Amazon.com, with featured categories in the Massachusetts location including “Most-Wished-For Books on Amazon.com,” “Tailgating Essentials,” “Picks from Amazon’s Top 100 Toys” and a local twist, “Trending Around Boston,” according to WCVB.

Customers are also able to test out Amazon devices, along with smart home accessories that work with Alexa. And digital price tags with every product show both the Prime price and list price.

“That shows the pricing in real time, so it can change throughout the day,” said Drew Sheriff, director of Amazon Physical Stores. “But it also shows the star rating and the number of reviews the product has.”

Prime members pay the Amazon website price in stores, while customers who aren’t already members can sign up for a free 30-day trial and receive the Amazon website price in store. The Amazon app can also be used to pay for items in the store.

In the most recent quarter, Amazon’s Physical Stores division accounted for $4.3 billion in revenue, even though sales grew by only about $18 million over the previous year or less than 1 percent.