Amazon has plans to open more physical bookstores, further expanding its brick-and-mortar store footprint. According to the Financial Times, Amazon spokeswoman Deborah Bass said yesterday that the retail giant is opening locations in Chicago and Portland, with the Chicago store due to open next year. That brings the total number of stores nationwide to five, including the already-opened location in Seattle, and planned shops in San Diego and New York City.

Expanding its footprint

Amazon opened its Seattle location last November, and has slowly revealed plans for more stores since. While the company has up until recently done much to undermine physical retail stores, opening its own allows it to sell Amazon books and Kindles while marketing its other lucrative services. "In these early days, it’s all about learning, rather than trying to earn a lot of revenue," said CEO Jeff Bezos at a shareholders meeting in May.

Of course, having a physical presence in several US cities only intensifies Amazon’s ubiquity. Services like Amazon Fresh and Prime Now are already spreading globally, providing groceries and one-hour delivery to customers, and it just launched a hub for car buyers in Amazon Vehicles. Having stores to replace the Walmarts of the world certainly doesn’t hurt.