There is a new rumor that Google plans on trying to capture Apple's success in physical retail stores by opening a series of Google retail stores in major metropolitan areas in the U.S. before the 2013 holiday season.

9TO5GOOGLE has been told by "reliable" sources that the mission of the stores will be to get new Google Nexus, Chrome, and especially upcoming products into customer's hands by providing a hands-on experience with Google products. It's important to allow customers to try before they buy, especially when it comes to technology-related products and services.

Apple has seen great success in its retail stores; Tim Cook even described Apple retail stores as the face of Apple recently and even credited the stores for the success of the iPad. It allows customers to walk into a store and try out brand new products they weren't sure they wanted or needed, but Apple did, and by allowing potential buyers the opportunity to feel, operate, and imagine how the devices will integrate into their lives has been a winning formula for the Cupertino company.

The decision to open retail stores supposedly came up when Google was deciding on how to offer its upcoming Google Glass devices to the public. The team believed that consumers would want to try out the glasses first hand rather than buying Google's glasses from the Google Play Store. The glasses are expected to retail from between $500 to $1000. Google felt it would have a better shot at educating and selling the devices by allowing non-techie potential customers to try the device in a hands-on and eyes-on environment. It is believed that this decision should also apply to Google's other products like its Nexus smartphones and tablets, as well as its Chrome products.

It remains to be seen if this rumor will come to fruition and how much of a success it will be. Other tech companies have tried, including Microsoft, Samsung, Nokia, and Sony to name a few, but none have seen the kind of success Apple has.

Maybe Google is already seeing the answer through its Google Glasses and is hoping customers will as well when they try the glasses on for the first time in a Google retail store.