In a Thursday report, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) revealed that Internet search giant Google is apparently working out ways to mark its return to the hardware retailing arena - after a rather short previous attempt at marketing and selling Google-branded smartphones - with an online store which will sell co-branded Android-based tablet computers.

According to the WSJ report, Google's decision to come up with a tablets-specific online store - which would likely be launched this year - is probably be an upshot of the fact that the Android-based tablets have failed in posing any serious threat to the market leading Apple iPad.

Going by the information shared by `inside' sources familiar with the proceedings at Apple, Google's online store for tablets will largely be on the lines of Apple and Amazon online store; and will clearly mark the Internet search company's efforts to turn around the sluggish sales of the Android-based tablets by selling co-branded tablets directly to consumers.

As per the sources, the approach which Google will likely follow for tablets will be fairly akin to the strategy which the company followed for its Nexus One handset in 2010 --- the company will join hands with different manufacturers to sell some future Android tablets co-branded with the Google name.

Despite the fact that the details pertaining to Google's `co-branded tablets' project are still unclear, it is being speculated that, rather than manufacturing its own hardware, Google will co-brand the tablets manufactured by its current partners like Samsung Electronics and AsusTek Computers.