Google picks NYC for first retail store

Google announced that it plans to open its first retail store in New York City this summer.

“The new Google Store is an important next step in our hardware journey of providing the most helpful experience of Google, wherever and whenever people need it,” the company said in a blog post on Thursday. 

The Google store will open in New York’s Chelsea neighborhood, which already houses the company’s main campus in the city.

The Google announcement means the company will compete with tech giant Apple, which has opened 270 physical stores in the U.S. since 2001, according to Reuter.

Google has recently set up pop-up shops to promote their products. 

Google also will put in place a mask mandate and social distancing requirements in the new store due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and a limited number of customers will be allowed to enter.