Self-checkout has become a common experience at grocery stores and drugstores, offering a faster and more convenient way to shop. Now, Amazon is taking this concept to new heights by introducing a cashier-less store in the $800 billion grocery business. Located in Seattle, the store, called Amazon Go Grocery, is not just any ordinary supermarket. It is a high-tech store that aims to revolutionize the shopping experience. Amazon is no stranger to the grocery industry, having acquired the Whole Foods brand in 2017, which includes 500 store locations. They also have a chain of Amazon Go convenience stores. However, Amazon Go Grocery takes things to the next level with a much larger inventory, being over five times the size of current Amazon Go stores. With this expanded space, Amazon Go Grocery offers a wide range of products, from blood oranges to freshly baked bread, and everything in between.
Amazon Go Grocery: A New Shopping Experience
Amazon Go Grocery is a fully stocked store, but with a unique twist – there are no checkout lines. Instead, customers can simply use the Amazon Go app on their smartphones to enter the 10,400 square foot store and choose from over 5,000 different items. Cameras and sensors installed throughout the store track the products customers select. When they leave, the items are automatically charged to their Amazon account using Amazon’s “Just Walk Out” technology. The cameras are designed to monitor customer interactions with the products, allowing for a seamless and effortless shopping experience. This innovative approach is known as “considered shopping” or simply “shopping” for anyone who has ever been to a grocery store. These technological advancements also help ensure that customers receive accurate receipts.
Drawbacks of Amazon Go Grocery
Despite its impressive features, there are a few drawbacks to the technology used in Amazon Go Grocery. For example, if multiple family members are shopping together using the same app account, helping someone else reach an item on a high shelf may result in being charged for that item. This unintentionally promotes isolation or a lack of politeness in the shopping experience. Customers also need to be cautious when picking up items to examine or change their minds about a purchase. The sensors may not always differentiate between these actions, leading to customers being charged for items they did not intend to buy. While the store provides reusable bags for customers to fill as they shop, it lacks a deli counter, butcher, and fish department. Meat and fish are still available for purchase but only in pre-packaged form. Additionally, the store operates with minimal staff, mainly responsible for restocking the shelves. Amazon has plans to open another brick and mortar grocery store in Los Angeles later this year, which will have cashiers. However, no further details have been disclosed at this time.
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