When I hosted my first breakfast at HVO Search discussing retail and digital convergence I asked "is Amazon ever going to have a store?"

And last month my question was answered. Yes indeed. Amazon has joined the likes of Birchbox, Warby Parker and Bonobos creating their offline experience. 

On 2 November, Amazon opened its first physical store. Located in Seattle’s University Village neighbourhood, the store, a bookshop, has been labelled “a physical extension of Amazon.com”, and uses customer reviews and ratings to sort books as well as offering identical pricing to that found online.

But why does Amazon, a bonafide online giant, want a physical presence?

I arrived to New York on the day that Paris was horrifically attacked. I was a very long way away but the impact was well and trully felt. I have friends, colleagues and close clients in Paris. It was a terrible shock.

I am deeply sadenned by these events and my heart goes out to everyone who has been affected. My thoughts are with you. 

But we are all affected, it's not just Paris it's the world. The downing of a Russian plane over Egypt, the recent explosion in Beirut, these sensless acts of terror affect people everywhere.

The impact on a human level is undeniable, the suffering and a sense of loss is deeply felt.

But, what is the economic cost of terrorism? And what economic consequences can we expect to see?