<i>There is a real trend towards having stores dedicated to individual companies, Apple found great success when they went out on a limb and created their own stores, and a big part of it is the experience they’ve offered. Great customer support, a visually attractive store and great products.</i><p>I don't know if that success would be the same for Amazon. Apple sells more expensive products, so it makes sense to pay for retail space and have salespeople walking around. If they pay someone $15/hr to sell you a $600 iPad or $2200 MacBook, that's a win. If Amazon pays someone $15/hr to sell you a $10 eBook, that's a loss, unless he sells 60 books in the time it takes to sell one iPad.