Tech giant Google regularly releases a parade of products, updates, and innovations that people can’t wait to get their hands on. A notable recent release is the lineup of Google Pixel 9 devices, including the Google Pixel 9 Pro. Most people think long and hard before buying a new phone. If you’re a part of this group, you don’t need to dive into the process blindfolded. Google wants you to experience its hardware before purchasing it by checking out one of its retail locations in the US. There, you can test drive a new product and get answers from the experts.
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Google has five retail locations across the US
The majority of stores are on the East Coast and West Coast
Google opened its first retail location in New York’s Chelsea neighborhood in the summer of 2021, marking the beginning of a quick succession of similar openings. The tech company has five locations:
- 76 9th Ave, New York NY
- 134 N 6th St, Brooklyn NY
- 2000 N Shoreline Blvd, Mountain View CA
- 153 Newbury St, Boston MA
- 63 Oakbrook Center, Oak Brook IL
The Chicago location opened its doors on November 1, marking its first location in the Midwest. Like the other locations, the Google Store in Oakbrook offers Pixel phones, watches, and tablets. Nest cameras and Fitbit trackers are also available for purchase.
All of Google’s retail locations offer free weekly events demonstrating how to use the features on its devices. These events also include discussions with employees who helped build the products.
The Chelsea location stands out from the rest by including Sandbox rooms, which are dedicated spaces showing how Google’s hardware works in real life. One of the rooms allows users to try on Pixel Buds Pro 2 to experience the sounds of a helpful commute.
While this location was Google’s first brick-and-mortar store, it wasn’t the first time the company put out its products for New Yorkers to peruse. Google set up a pop-up showroom in the city’s Soho community in 2016.
Beyond the five existing stores, Google will open a retail location in Santa Monica. The company confirmed the news during its Made By Google event in August, stating the location would open “in the next few months.” Online posts indicate the store will be in the Keller Building, which is surrounded by other high-end retail establishments like Nike and Tesla.
Further expansions won’t likely stop there. Google purchased the Thompson Center in Chicago in the summer of 2022 and announced plans to turn it into a new campus. The company says it will honor the building’s original legacy while bringing the “design into the 21st century.” The multi-block building is expected to open in 2026, and Chicago’s second Google retail store might be located there.
Google’s available services
Test, repair, or trade-in
Customers can come to one of the five locations for onsite repairs. According to the company’s website, associates can repair any phone, including the Pixel 2 and newer onsite, as long as you purchased the device in the US.
The retail locations also offer trade-in services. Employees examine your old phone and provide you with a quote for a credit. If you purchase a new device at the store, they’ll apply that credit to the cost of the phone. You can also complete trade-ins online. More details about the process are available on Google’s website.
While Google’s retail locations include an array of products available for purchase, the stores don’t include every product on the company’s websites.
Architecture worth looking at
The Chelsea store seems to have started it all
Architecture firm Reddymade designed the Chelsea location. According to the company’s website, the store was built with neuroaesthetics in mind. It’s decked out with cork and wood surfaces, warm lighting, and neutral tones. The floor uses recyclable material that comes from factory waste. While Google worked with different firms to launch its other stores, all favored a wooden aesthetic.
This store is located in the Chelsea Market in the Meatpacking District and is in view of the High Line. The public park is built on top of an abandoned railroad and is a major tourist attraction.
The Mountain View location also falls under the realm of being a tourist attraction. The retail store is part of Google’s Visitor Experience, which includes a space for events, pop-ups, a café, and art installations. The store is under Google’s Gradient Canopy, which features a “dragonscale” solar skin roof comprising thousands of solar panels.
Expect more locations, but exactly where is TBA
Google opened most of its stores on the East Coast and West Coast, and while it’s unclear why the company has gone this way, it might provide clues to where future stores could be coming. For example, the existing retail locations are near Google campuses. The flagship store in Chelsea is part of its New York campus, and the same can be said for its Mountain View, California location.
