Amazon Books Opens In Lakeview, First Amazon Bookstore In Midwest
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Tuesday marked the first full-day of business for Amazon's first brick-and-mortar bookstore in Chicago's Lakeview neighorbhood.
The bookstore is the first to open in the Midwest and the fifth store worldwide. The Lakeview location, is also the second Amazon Books store with a coffee shop proudly serving Stumptown Coffee Roasters. WBBM's Steve Miller reports.
"We've built a store that integrates the benefits of offline and online shopping to give customers an additional way to discover books and devices they'll love. The books in our store are selected based on Amazon.com customer ratings, pre-orders, sales, popularity on Goodreads, and our curators' assessments. And because we know customers like to test-drive Amazon's devices, products across our Kindle, Echo, Fire TV and Fire tablet lines are available to explore," Amazon Books said in a statement.
"To give you more information as you browse, our books are placed face-out with a review and rating card from Amazon.com customers. Most of these books have been rated 4 stars or above and many are award winners. These are truly fantastic books."
Guests walked the wide aisles of the new Amazon store on Southport near Cornelia on Tuesday, some commenting on the book titles.
"You are a Bad Ass. I just thought that's a cute title," said Linda, from Chicago.
WBBM: Do you think you'll come back here?
"Possibly. I'd be more likely to go to Barnes and Noble."
Some of the younger customers were more impressed.
One woman drove in from Schaumburg, specifically to check out the Amazon store.
"Curious. I was really looking for metaphysical books. But they don't have any. That's OK," said Cindy, of Schaumburg.
WBBM: Are you going to buy something anyway?
"Yes, I have three children's books at the counter."
This is Amazon's first neighborhood store. The other four are in shopping malls.
Erika VanDam, the owner of Roscoe Books, about a mile away, said it's a sad irony, since Amazon is responsible for the death of so many independent book stores.