“Just Walk Out:” Amazon’s Supermarket With No Checkouts

On January 22, 2018, Amazon opened a supermarket in Seattle with no checkout operators or self-service checkout machines.
The supermarket is a regular convenience store with a twist, shopping with no physical checkout. The goal is to prevent long lines and create a more stress-free environment when grocery shopping.
The exclusive shop is run mostly by hundreds of mounted cameras and electronic sensors to track and identify each customer and the items they select.
According to BBC, weight sensors are located on the shelves and indicate if an item has been taken or put back. Also, some items can carry a visual dot code to help identify them using the cameras.
Originally set to open in early 2017, there was an unexpected delay due to issues with the complexity of the technology.
This supermarket will give customers the opportunity to walk into the business, shop for what they need, and leave without having to wait in long lines to make a purchase.
When entering the store, shoppers are required to scan a QR code on their smartphones with the Amazon Go app which allows the sensors to notify who entered the store and then begins to create an electronic receipt on the app.
There are infrared ceiling cameras that have been trained to differentiate between customers as they move around the store, even the people that have similar appearances.
Finally, when you are done shopping, you can walk out of the store and your card will be charged with your purchase total and an electronic receipt will be sent to your phone through the Amazon Go app.
Alexzandra Greene, sophomore criminal justice major, native to Oakland, California stated, “I think that the Amazon supermarket is a great idea and a faster way to shop.” She also hopes that they decide to create more stores around the United States.
The downside of this supermarket being run by technology is the limited amount of jobs there will be. There are only associates who help customers, stockers, and staff that are in the kitchen who prepare salads and sandwiches.
Freshman Biology major, Tahara Trimble, native to New Orleans, Louisiana stated that she doesn’t like the idea of a “just walk out” store because, “Even though it is a faster way to shop, it limits the amount of jobs for people to have, and [she doesn’t] like that.”
Amazon has yet to state if they will be opening more ‘Go’ stores, but they have recognized the efficiency of this new technology.
The technology used in the Go store is not expected to be in the Whole Food supermarkets that Amazon bought last year due to its extensive size and number of products it sells.
The differences between the Amazon supermarket and other supermarkets are the sizes of the building, no individual pieces of fruit being sold, and items that vary in weight or size. Similar items such as salads all weigh and cost the same amount so that the computers know exactly what the customer picked up.
They also offer ready-to-cook meal kits, people can grab these on their way home and cook a dinner for two in approximately thirty minutes. BBC stated that Brian Olsavsky, Amazon chief financial officer “recently hinted that rivals should expect more Amazon shops in the months and years ahead.”