Signs hang outside commercial buildings in the Ginza district of Tokyo, in this file photo. For 10 days, Amazon is going to sell beer, wine, sake and cocktails in the glitzy district to promote alcoholic products sold on its website in Japan.Akio Kon/Bloomberg
Amazon.com Inc. is opening a bar. For 10 days, the Web retailer is going to sell beer, wine, sake and cocktails in Tokyo's glitzy Ginza district to promote alcoholic products sold on its website in Japan.
While Amazon has opened physical bookstores, bought Whole Foods and is testing a food market without cash registers at its Seattle headquarters, this is the first time the e-commerce giant will operate an actual bar. It's part of a bigger push by Amazon to boost its physical presence to promote the array of merchandise sold on its website, and branch into new markets.
"Amazon Bar will offer a wide variety of drinks procured from across the globe, and offer exclusive products as well as samples of products not yet on store shelves," the company said in a statement Thursday.
Instead of a menu, Amazon's 78-seat bar will feature an ordering system that will suggest drinks, and also hire sommeliers to dispense wine advice. Nikka whisky, Yebisu beer and other drinks will cost 500 to 1,500 yen ($4.43 to $13.30), and some food will be offered. The pop-up bar will be open for evenings beginning Oct. 20.
The new bar is located a stone's throw from the Emporio Armani store in Ginza, Tokyo's prestige shopping district where Apple and Louis Vuitton have flagship outlets.