Amazon Bookstore Opens In Columbus Circle Mall

COLUMBUS CIRCLE, NY — Amazon's first New York City brick and mortar bookstore opened Thursday in a Columbus Circle shopping mall.

The new Amazon Bookstore is located in The Shops at Columbus Circle at the Time Warner Center, which currently boasts retailers such as Sephora, Bose and Whole Foods, according to an Amazon spokeswoman.

Amazon describes its bookstores as "a physical extension of Amazon.com," which "integrates the benefits of offline and online shopping to help you find books and devices you’ll love," according to its website. The books are displayed facing outward to "communicate its own essence," and they are selected based on customer ratings and sales numbers on Amazon.com.

The Columbus Circle Amazon Bookstore is the mega-retailer's eighth brick and mortar location in the United States, according to its website. Other locations exist in cities such as Seattle, Chicago, San Diego and Portland.