There have been a few items in the rumor mill about Google either investigating or planning retail stores, not unlike the Apple stores that famously dot malls and upper-class shopping areas around the world. 9to5 Google reported a tip from "an extremely reliable source" citing a 2013 rollout schedule for a Google store. Then the Wall street Journal, itself a pretty reliable reporter of the inner workings of Google, reported the same thing. The WSJ omitted a time frame, and noted that the 2013 claim may not be accurate.

Australian carrier Telstra's Androidland in Melbourne. Photo credit: Wired

A Google store would naturally focus on Google hardware, such as it is: you could definitely imagine Nexus phones and tablets, Chromebooks, and maybe even a few Google TVs littering a showroom. But can a handful of products really make, or even justify, a retail presence? The Wall Street Journal's tepid report seems to indicate that the decision makers inside Google are currently weighing the pros and cons. After all, there's only so many docks and plastic Android toys you can sell. Another possibility is that Google could use stores as a presentation platform, showing off the best and brightest of Android and Chrome hardware without consideration of the Nexus brand. Both sources indicate that Google would launch retail outlets in the United States first, if at all.

It's hard to see the point in a Google store, considering just how small their current "official" hardware lineup is. But on the plus side, you'd always have a place to line up for the next Nexus release. Let us know your thoughts in the comments section.

Source: The Wall Street Journal, 9to5 Google