After conquering online retail and beating even Walmart in sales, Amazon is now looking to expand into the industry it notoriously disrupted, brick-and-mortar retail stores.
Amazon plans to open several 30,000-square-foot stores across the US to further its reach in sales of clothing, household items, electronics and other home goods, sources say.
The first stores are expected to open in Ohio and California, The Wall Street Journal reported.
The move comes with ironic undertones as department stores and mom-and-pop shops have long blamed Amazon and other online retailers for their loss in sales.
Andy Jassy, left took over as president and CEO of Amazon when Jeff Bezos stepped down in July. Jassy will overlook the e-commerce giant's expansion into brick-and-mortar retail
Amazon hopes to open its first stores in Ohio and California. Pictured, an Amazon distribution center in North Vegas, Nevada
About 25 years ago, the department stores accounted for 10 percent of all retail sales - minus cars, gas and restaurants - but now the sector accounts for less than 1 percent of the market, the Journal reported.
While Amazon has opened it's own brand of grocery stores, convenience stores, and book shops in 13 states, the department stores will be its largest brick-and-mortar venture, with the square footage being around the size of a Kohl's or TJ Maxx.
Department stores like Bloongdale's and Nordstrom average around 250,000-square feet, while Walmarts usually stand at just below 200,000 square feet.
The venture comes under the leadership of Andy Jassy, who took over as president and CEO of Amazon after founder Jeff Bezos stepped down.
The new Amazon stores would be about the size of a Kohl's department store or a TJ Maxx. Pictured, a Kohl's store in Montebello, California
