Pop-up store lets visitors browse and experience audiobooks in an immersive physical space

Last updated: May 02, 2026 | 11:03

A customer shops at the Audible Story House in New York,. The pop-up store labelled as a "bookless bookstore" is dedicated to audiobooks. AFP

New York: Audiobook giant Audible opened what it billed as the first "bookless bookstore" in New York on Friday as industry statistics show more American consumers embracing the format.

There is no rustle of pages or stacks of best-selling novels at the pop-up store opened by the Amazon subsidiary on the Lower East Side in Manhattan.

"This is a physical place entirely dedicated to bringing audio storytelling to life," Audible CEO Bob Carrigan said during a press tour of the "Audible Story House" on Thursday.

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It was a slightly "wild idea" which "took quite a bit of imagination," Carrigan said, adding that the month-long pop-up aims to "bring audiobooks…