Amazon opens new physical store that stocks only its highest-rated products

Amazon has opened a new physical store that will sell what the e-commerce giant thinks are some of its most popular, or at least best-rated, products.

Opening in SoHo New York on Thursday, the concept, called Amazon-4 star, is being considered as the company’s next move into bricks-and-mortar retail, following its acquisition of Whole Foods and the launch of its checkout-free grocery store.

Inventory will rotate on a weekly basis, depending on how popular items are on its website, and as the name suggests, nothing rated below four stars will be stocked.

In a blog post covering the opening, Amazon said it had designed the store as a “reflection of customers”.

Products currently in the store include card game Codenames, which is rated 4.8 stars on the store with 2,000 reviews, and the Echo Spot, rated 4.5 stars with more than 5,600 reviews.

The store reflects the first time the company has really offered its broader range of products, including appliances, in a physical space.

Digital price tags have been placed next to items, which show how much members of Amazon’s prime loyalty program will save on purchases, while the average rating score and number of ratings for an item will also be shown.

The e-commerce giant’s average product rating is 4.4 stars, while more than 1.8 million products have earned 5-star reviews, the company said.

The permanent store is a sign of what might be to come for Amazon and partners on its platform, should it decide to expand the concept.

On that front Amazon was short on details, although Cameron James, vice president of Amazon’s physical retail division, left the door open to expansion.

“You’ll have to wait and see,” he told American outlet CNBC.

Amazon revealed last week it plans to open 3000 of its check-out free Amazon Go grocery stores across the US in the coming years.

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