Dublin after London

Imagine you are in a mall standing in front of two stores: one Apple, one Google. Which one do you decide to enter? Or better yet you ask, since when does Google have a store!!!!!? Well according to a recent filing, Google plans on opening up their first stand-alone retail store at its headquarters in Dublin. After using a trial retail location inside London’s Curry and PC World stores, they decided to go on their own and enter the retail market. So now imagine once more you are in front of the two stores with the knowledge that a Google store exists. Can you answer the first question now? Probably not because you still have no idea what the Google store even sells! And neither do they! or at least, they haven’t publicly stated such knowledge.

So let’s recap here before continuing on. Google, the world’s most popular search engine service which also offers other online services such as Mail, Calendar, Google+, etc in addition to Android and other operating software, is opening up a physical retail location to sell concrete items. Puzzled? As am I. I am aware they have an online store that sells clothing and other Google labeled novelties but what else is there? What is worth opening a store for and for what purpose?

Perhaps they are looking to compete against Apple and use their resources, along with their $12 billion buyout of Motorola Mobility Holdings, to become the biggest company in the world. Or maybe they got bored of the doing the same thing and want to venture into new fronts. Which ever reason it is, I do not feel it is the right move. They are a software company with a search engine that dominates the market share, online services that create convenience and operating software for phones that compete heavily in the smartphone arena. Above all, they are damn good at all of these things, software related, and should stick to them. I do not think entering the retail market and manufacturing consumer electronics should be their next step. Sure, they have brilliant people working for them and their stock is doing beyond incredible but why risk it all. Now, it is only one store and considering how much money they have, it is not financially straining to test this out. Maybe it will work, maybe it won’t. Only time will tell for this software giant.

But wait! there is a lingering question at hand. Which one do you enter? More importantly, should Google even get to the point where consumers need to make such a decision?