Amazon is growing its physical footprint via a deal whereby it will open ten of its own 1,000-square-foot shops within Kohl's locations in the Chicago and Los Angeles areas. The Amazon stores-within-a-store will sell smart home products like Echo and Fire tablets, with customers able to schedule Amazon staffers for at-home visits.
Why it matters: This is the latest illustration of how America's largest e-commerce company isn't content to remain on our screens, following up on its recent purchase of grocer Whole Foods. And it comes at a time when Chinese peer Alibaba reportedly is planning to open its own physical shopping mall.
What we don't yet know: Any of the financial details of this arrangement. Kohl's shares climbed nearly 5% today, perhaps on the assumption that only a very generous arrangement could have convinced the department store operator to welcome such a powerful rival into its henhouse.
