Amazon Unit Opens ‘Bookless Bookstore’

Here’s the latest from the business that was once predicted to put the traditional bookstore out of business (but didn’t): a “bookless bookstore.” Audible, an Amazon unit specializing in creating and providing audio storytelling, has opened Audible Story House, a listening lounge and community hub that will operate Wednesdays-Sundays during May at 260 Bowery in New York’s NoLita neighborhood.

“We developed Audible Story House by asking a simple question: what does a bookstore look like without any books? The answer became a place where audio storytelling comes alive, and where people connect, celebrate what they love, and find communities that matter to them,” said James Finn, Audible’s Global Head of Brand & Content Marketing. “We’re giving customers a new way to experience Audible, in a place built for the way listening moves people today.”

To promote the use of the Audible subscription service, guests in the space can browse audio files using physical “story tiles,” use one of six distinct listening spaces across three floors, and experience premium amenities and activities such as immersive installations with Dolby Atmos sound, live programming from creator panels to fan meetups to hands-on crafting activities and live music concerts, a café and more.

Audible Story House “arrives at a cultural inflection point where audio storytelling remains the fastest-growing format in publishing, with passionate fan culture around books and audiobooks at an all-time high,” the company said in its news release on the pop-up. “At the same time, younger audiences are driving a broader shift toward offline experiences and real-world connection, seeking tactile, emotional experiences that demand one’s full attention amidst digital overload. Audible Story House taps into the nostalgia and community feel of book culture while bringing it fully into the present — reimagining the bookstore as an innovative destination for the next frontier of storytelling.”

Click here for more about the Audible Story House.