Friday, November 17, 2017

Amazon Books store to open at Bethesda Row, will include a cafe

Bethesda Row will get another bookstore, even if it's not an equal to the departing Barnes & Noble. Amazon Books will take over the current Urban Country space at 7117 Arlington Road next year, according to a statement from Federal Realty (Urban Country will move next door). The 6063 SF space cannot possibly hold the selection of books that Barnes & Noble did, but the store will give those wanting to hang out for a while a new cafe to do so in.

Not all Amazon Books stores have cafes, so we are fortunate to be getting one. Each store's cafe varies in coffee branding. One in New York offers Stumptown Roasters, while a West Coast location serves Peet's Coffee. Other unique features to the store will include a display below each book showing its rating and review blurb on Amazon.com, and a "Highly Rated" table that is usually prominently placed at the entrance.

Another section of the store will show off Amazon's electronic devices, such as the Echo and Kindle. Bibliophiles will likely be disappointed with the trendy and limited selection of books. I wouldn't expect to find myself in line behind David Brooks at Amazon Books (as has happened at Barnes & Noble). Maybe Wolf Blitzer.

Photo courtesy Amazon

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

4 days. Federal Realty is ghosting you. Or else you're just lazy.

Anonymous said...

It's not equal to B&N, it's far better. You'll be able to get great price and selection on books, CD's, movies, etc. Plus be able to buy Amazon electronic gear. What's more, you can select the store to be the delivery location for Amazon orders while you're on vacation and those orders will be safe and secure until you come back. This isn't your average bookstore and this should be applauded by local government not to mention state. There's only 7 of its kind in the entire country. This is a big deal. I'd say it blows B&N away.

Robert Dyer said...

8:18: Excellent points and true, but I'm talking about the selection you can browse in the store itself.

8:16: It'll be much longer than 4 days before the store opens. Federal Realty is too smart to "ghost" several thousand readers of my blog, whom they want to be their customers. Almost all of my readers actually live in Bethesda, unlike the small-and-slightly-failing magazine, that inflates its stats with clickbait national-oriented stories in Google News like "Trump," "Local politicians react to ****** mass shooting," "13 Reasons Why on Netflix," etc.

Anonymous said...

Robert, let’s be real. You’re a nobody to Federal Realty. If they do follow your blog (and highly unlikely they do), they’d see that 90% of your readers just come straight to the comments to make fun of you. Find me an article in which you’ve not deleted comments and that the majority of people actually leave positive comments. Didn’t think you could... so cut the arrogant (and false) crap about people and businesses being afraid of you.

Anonymous said...

@8:35.. what is wrong with you? i will never understand bullies like you who take the time to do nothing but disparage others. what a waste of time. sure this blog has its quirks, but it is mostly filled with useful information to those of us in the community. get a life.

Anna said...

And then he ruins it all by trashing another local business with lies, suppositions and opinions.

When the debate is lost, slander becomes the toll of the loser. - Socrates

Anna said...

8:45AM - what is wrong with YOU? 8:35 is giving his opinion and not calling anyone names. Don't you agree that claiming that The Washington Post has a policy to not mention Robert Dyer is a fabrication? The Washington Post - an international news organization- has an actual company policy against Dyer - a guy who has a local blog?

Who's bullying who?

Roald said...

I think my B&N membership auto-renewed recently, so I'll still visit their store on the Pike.

I was happy to read this article about the Amazon café. Should be a great addition. Something other than Starbucks.

Anonymous said...

Does Dyer have first party analytics 10:53? :)

Anonymous said...

Robert Dyer @ 4:53 AM DST 11/17/17:

"Federal Realty wasn't the source. My investigation to find out who leaked the Amazon news continues. Barnes & Noble closing wasn't a scoop; because the store stocks the small-and-slightly-failing magazine, they of course had to inform the mag they wouldn't be ordering any more issues after this year. 'Why not?' 'We're closing.' Not exactly Woodward and Bernstein, folks.

Anonymous said...

Haha that’s a joke right? You made that up? No way Dyer said or thinks that, that’s silly.

Maloney Concrete said...

Looking forward to browsing the books and getting a cup of coffee!

Anonymous said...

I agree with 8:45. 8:35 is a bully and admitted himself that he only reads the blog to negatively comment. And Anna, you are delusional if you didn't pick up on that and are defending the bully.

Anonymous said...

You still cant figure up how to set up eastern time on your page yet Tardo!!! Quesa DIllllllllllllllllllllllaaaaaa

Anonymous said...

"Not exactly Woodward and Bernstein, folks."

More like Capt. Queeg and the strawberries.

Anonymous said...

Amazon drives brick and mortar bookstores out of business and then opens a brick and mortar bookstore. I don't find anything to celebrate.

Anonymous said...

I still find it amazing that a brick and mortar bookstore can survive. I mean really, how many books on masonry does one really need?

Anna said...

I see your point 2:01. That's fair.
But I'm surprised you didn't pick up on 8:35 pulling a Dyer on Dyer: Insult, claim no one believes you, claim everyone is laughing at you, tell you you'll never win.

But that's just how I saw it. Everyone's different. :)

Tom Thumb said...

I'd prefer an alternative to Amazon, and that's what Barnes and Noble brought to the table.

Anonymous said...

Remember when you got SCOOPED by the that other site on this story? LOL

Robert Dyer said...

7:10: "LOL" No, I don't, because "that other site" never reported there would be a cafe in the store.