Sometime in early 2017, residents of Seattle, Washington, will be able to experience what promises to be a revolution in shopping: Amazon’s first brick and mortar retail grocery store, Amazon Go, which promises to hold all the thrill of shoplifting without the legal consequences.
According to the company’s press release, Amazon Go will use a mobile app to completely transform how shoppers interact with a consumer environment. A visitor will be able to walk into the compact, 1800-square-foot space to grab food and beverage items, including ready-to-eat goods. Tracking sensors keep tabs on both the shoppers and the product items, knowing when they’ve been put in a cart or back on the shelf. When the trip is over, visitors simply walk through electronic turnstiles and out the door with their bags—the app performs a “checkout” that completely eliminates conveyor belts and lines.
Amazon calls it “Just Walk Out Technology”—a model it’s been working on for the past four years. The company plans to emulate it in a series of locations across the country. You can sign up for an email notification of when they’re open to the public here.
[h/t engadget]
December 5, 2016 – 12:30am