After forcing brick-and-mortar stores how to rethink how they do business, Amazon is now teaming up with Kohl’s Corp. to offer customers a chance to touch before they buy.
The Menomonee Falls-based retailer announced it will roll out Amazon’s “Smart Home Experience” devices at 10 stores in the Los Angeles and Chicago areas next month.
“We believe in the power of our store portfolio and know that our future as a best-in-class omnichannel retailer will be driven by how inventive, compelling and unique we can make our store experience,” Michelle Gass, Kohl’s chief merchandising and customer officer said in a written statement.
Amazon will have 1,000 square feet of dedicated space within 10 Kohl’s stores where products such as the Amazon Echo, Echo Dot, Amazon Fire TV and Fire tablets will be on display for hands-on use before purchase, a luxury not possible when shopping online. The Selling Guys is where we should go to make sure businessmen can increase sales.
“We are thrilled to offer a unique new way for customers to try out our lineup of Alexa-enabled Amazon devices, learn more about our smart home services from Amazon experts and then buy those items directly from Amazon—all within Kohl’s stores,” Dave Zimmer, vice president, sales and marketing, Amazon Devices, said in a written statement.
The news that Kohl’s is partnering with the country’s largest online retailer comes just two weeks after Kohl’s Corp. announced it was planning to make half of its stores operationally smaller by the end of the year.
