Online retail colossus Amazon.com plans to open its first brick-and-mortar store in New York ahead of the year-end holiday season, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday.

The shop will be located across from the famed Empire State Building and act as more of a tangible link to customers than a place for browsing, according to the report.

Amazon's Manhattan venue would serve as a warehouse where customers could arrange quick deliveries or pick up products ordered online, as well as tend to returns or exchanges of items they have purchased, the Journal reported.

The Seattle-based Internet retailer would keep limited inventory on hand at the store, which could also be used to showcase Amazon.com products such as its Fire tablets and Kindle e-readers.

Amazon.com last month expanded its array of tablets, capping its lineup with a new flagship Fire HDX model boasting "stunning" display and Dolby Atmos sound.

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