Getty / Scott Olson
The Journal's sources say the store will be located in Manhattan on 34th Street, across from the Empire State Building, and will give Amazon a way to connect with customers in the physical world.
The store would reportedly function like a mini-warehouse, with inventory for same-day delivery in New York City, and would also act as a hub for product returns, exchanges, and pickup of online orders. Sources also said that Amazon might use the space to showcase products like its new Kindle tablets, its Fire smartphone, and its TV box, Fire TV.
People familiar with the plans told The Wall Street Journal that nothing is set in stone yet, and the company may decide to ditch the idea. However, if Amazon does open the store and has successful launch, it may open more brick-and-mortar locations in other U.S. cities.
More to come...
Disclosure: Jeff Bezos is an investor in Business Insider through his personal investment company Bezos Expeditions.