When Amazon, which is often blamed for single-handedly ruining the High Street, opened its first physical bookshops in 2015 it sparked fury in some quarters.

Axar.az reports that but after branching out into grocery and gadget shops, the e-commerce giant now reportedly plans to go much further - opening several large bricks-and-mortar retail sites akin to department stores.

Amazon declined to comment on the claims, made by the Wall Street Journal, calling them "rumours and speculation".

But the newspaper said Ohio and California had already been earmarked as probable locations.

Quoting people familiar with the plans, it said the new retail spaces will be around 30,000 square feet, smaller than most department stores, which typically occupy about 100,000 square feet, and will offer items from top consumer brands.