Google may open retail store in DublinFebruary 9, 2012 - 15:43 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Google Inc. may open its first stand-alone retail store at its European headquarters in Dublin, according to a filing by the world’s most popular search engine. The Google Store would be open to the public and sell unspecified “Google merchandise,” Google’s Irish unit said in a local planning application. Located in Dublin’s Montevetro office block, the shop would include about 123 square meters (1,323 square feet) of space with an added mezzanine floor extension. “While we do have the option to open retail space, we are examining all potential uses,” the Mountain View, California-based company said today in an e-mailed statement. “No final decision has been taken.” Retail may be a new front in Google’s competition with Apple Inc., whose 361 stores have fueled sales of iPods, iPhones and iPad tablet computers. Google, the world’s biggest maker of smartphone operating software, is in the process of buying handset maker Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc. for $12.5 billion to help it compete with Apple’s phones and Microsoft Corp.’s mobile software. The planning application, prepared by consultants John Spain Associates for Google Ireland Inc., was approved by the Dublin City Council on Jan 23. The document also describes a staff swimming pool in an area designed for use as a restaurant. Google’s Dublin office is its largest location outside of the U.S., according to the filing. It purchased the Montevetro site in April for about 100 million euros from Real Estate Opportunities Plc. Google will have more than 3,000 employees in the Dublin area after it expands into the building and refurbishes its existing headquarters across the street, according to the document. Top stories Yerevan will host the 2024 edition of the World Congress On Information Technology (WCIT). Rustam Badasyan said due to the lack of such regulation, the state budget is deprived of VAT revenues. Krisp’s smart noise suppression tech silences ambient sounds and isolates your voice for calls. Gurgen Khachatryan claimed that the "illegalities have been taking place in 2020." Partner news Most popular in the section | Get Started: An educational platform for young startuppers The Get Started program which operates in two phases is an important platform for young startuppers. Byblos Bank Armenia celebrates Students' Day with scholarship recipients YSU students who received scholarships from Byblos Bank Armenia gathered in a casual setting to meet with the Bank's CEO, Hayk Stepanyan. Azerbaijan extends Rune Vardanyan’s arrest by 5 months A court in Azerbaijan has extended the arrest of former Nagorno-Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan by five months. Armenia border residents dissatisfied with delimitation Residents Kirants are dissatisfied with the results of the delimitation of the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan. |