A Glimpse of Amazon Go Walkout Technology

Have you ever wondered if you could just buy goods of the shelf without ever waiting in line? Are you tired of waiting in long queues to check out your grocery items? Well, in the USA, you can now pick your items from grocery shelves and just leave the shop without ever waiting in a check-out line. Amazon calls it just walk-out technology and there are over 25 Amazon Go stores in the USA now. Recently Amazon launched its first store out of the USA in Ealing, UK called Amazon Fresh matching Amazon’s online grocery shopping.  

How does the technology work?

The user needs to first download the Amazon Go app for either IOS or Android on their phone. When they enter any one of these stores they need to scan their phones at the entrance and start shopping as simple as that. Any item you pick from the shelf is added to your virtual cart if you change your mind about an item you can put it back and Amazon’s technology will update your cart immediately. These stores use the same technologies found in self-driving cars, such as computer vision, sensor fusion, and deep learning algorithms. When customers have bought everything they need they can just walk out of the store. Amazon’s just walk-out technology adds all the items in your virtual cart and charges your Amazon account. The receipt is sent to the Amazon Go app as a confirmation after payment.

Also read: Alexa new assistant Ziggy

Difference between Amazon Go and Amazon Go Grocery

Amazon Go offers new products for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and ready-to-eat meals. Amazon Go Grocery offers all the above items mentioned plus items such as seafood, meat, bakery items, household essentials, and easy-to-make dinner options. They also offer organic goods and items from well-known brands including special finds and local favorites items.

Shop with Family and Friends

Simply use the in-store code from your Amazon shopping app and scan each person at the gate. If you are entering the store as a group, a single scan at the gate will be sufficient for the group provided you are using an Amazon-linked credit card or Amazon One. Everyone can shop as they would in a normal store. Any items picked up off the shelf by family or friends will be added to the virtual cart and if removed they will not be added to the cart.

Amazon Staff at Stores

Inside these stores you will find Amazon associates will be greeting customers at the entrance, restocking shelves, answering customers’ questions, and giving valuable product recommendations. Amazon wants to create a smooth and hassle-free experience for their customers so they keep coming back wanting more.

Future of cashierless retail stores

Amazon Go with its checkout-free technology has opened itself to new rivals such as Grabango and AiFi who offer autonomous store technology options. No doubt this is the future of the retail industry but it needs to be regulated so retailers can track their products and merchandise.

American retailers lose about $50 billion annually due to theft and shoplifting accounts for almost 37% of the losses. Investing in anti-theft measures is the need of the hour for retail owners can track which products are taken off the shelves and paid for making it difficult to steal.

The problem that arises is what if the technology were to fail then it would turn into a real disaster. There is also reason to believe with the process now been more automated, retailers would lay off more employees.

Amazon Go however has announced customers who would like to pay in cash can get their products scanned by an associate before checking out.