Amazon plans to open more retail stores

Amazon plans to open new brick-and-mortar retail stores, CEO Jeff Bezos said this week, though he did not say where or when they will open. As The Wall Street Journal reports, Bezos made the comments at the company's annual shareholder meeting on Tuesday, where he also outlined broad plans to expand the Amazon Prime service to include more benefits for subscribers.

Amazon has so far opened one brick-and-mortar bookstore in Seattle, and has begun construction on its second, located in San Diego. "We’re definitely going to open additional stores, how many we don’t know yet," Bezos said Tuesday. "In these early days it’s all about learning, rather than trying to earn a lot of revenue."

Big plans, few specifics

Bezos also said the company will add new benefits to Amazon Prime, though he did not disclose details. The Wall Street Journal earlier reported that Amazon is planning to introduce a range of private-label products available exclusively to Prime subscribers.

Shareholders at Tuesday's meeting voted against proposals that would have required Amazon to publish more information about its contributions to political campaigns and its record on the environment and human rights. Amazon has come under criticism from environmental groups who have called for greater transparency about the company's use of greenhouse gases. One of the rejected proposals would have required Amazon to publish a sustainability report — something that the company, unlike many of its rivals, has never done.

• SourceThe Wall Street Journal