Amazon said to be opening storefront

The largest online retailer, Amazon.com is reportedly looking to expand its share of the book market through a physical storefront, which could open within the next few months. However, those expecting the first Amazon bookstore to resemble a mammoth-sized Barnes & Noble will likely be disappointed. More likely, the initial foray is said to be a boutique, with an emphasis on the company's popular e-book readers such as the Kindle Fire, as well as exclusive titles from Amazon's own publishing wing.

The news comes as the war between Amazon.com and traditional booksellers is intensifying, with recent reports that Barnes & Noble will not be carrying titles published by the online giant in its physical stores. However, a brick-and-mortar outpost would allow Amazon a means of bypassing Barnes & Noble and other bookstore chains, and taking its content directly to its e-book customer base.

The likely site of the new store is Seattle, Washington, where the Internet retailer's corporate headquarters is located. Time will tell if a scaled-down storefront over a splashy, Apple store-type experience proves to be the right choice.