Amazon: We're not opening high street stores

 

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By Barry Collins

Posted on 7 Dec 2009 at 07:47

Amazon has denied reports that it's about to open high street stores in the UK.

The Sunday Times claimed that the online retailer was searching for bricks-and-mortar stores to complement its ever-expanding online presence. Properties owned by the defunct bookseller Borders were reportedly among the targets.

The newspaper said that Amazon wanted to provide customers with a place to collect their goods, easing the store's dependence on unreliable postal and courier services.

Amazon has grown from a books and CD retailer to an all-encompassing online department store, now selling goods such as kitchen appliances and bulky sports equipment, which are less suited to postal distribution.

Rival retailer Argos claims that almost a fifth of its online purchases are collected from its chain of stores, according to The Sunday Times.

However, Amazon has scotched rumours of a high street invasion. "We have no plans to open physical stores anywhere in the world," a company spokesperson told the Press Association.

Amazon certainly has little reason to panic if its latest sales figures are anything to go by. The company posted net sales of $5.45 billion in the third quarter, a 28% increase on the same quarter in 2008.