Google Inc. is working on plans to launch retail stores in the US, following the Apple model of building a consumer electronics brand, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
The stores may sell hardware under the Google brand, the newspaper cited the people as saying, though one person said the company may not act on the plan this year. Products built by Motorola Mobility, which Google acquired last year, and home-entertainment gadgets made by the Android division are a few of the possible devices the company could display if it makes a foray into retail, the newspaper said.
Other options include its low-priced Chromebook laptops and the Google Glass, a computing device worn on a person’s face that could go on sale to the public sometime next year. The Journal said that the company could also use its stores to display Google TV software embedded in some TV sets and set-top boxes.