New 1,800-square-foot store allows customers to shop and exit without a formal checkout process.
The much anticipated debut of Amazon’s new checkout-free store began Monday, Jan. 22 in downtown Seattle.
The New York Times detailed the experience, noting customers entering the store are first greeted by a row of gates reminiscent of a subway station, and only those with the store’s mobile app are able to enter.
The store spans 1,800 square feet and features the type of foods found in both c-stores and Whole Foods, which Amazon recently acquired. Customers can put products right into their personal shopping bag as they go—there are no carts or baskets.
When a customer removes an item from a shelf the product Amazon knows and moves the item into their virtual shopping cart and if they return it to the shelf, Amazon removes it from the virtual account.
According to the New York Times, Amazon won’t reveal much about how the system works other than it involves “sophisticated computer vision and machine learning software.”
Store employees are there to assist customers, restock shelves and check I.D.s in the alcohol section.
As customers exit through the gates with their groceries, their Amazon account charges them for what they take out the door, and they receive an electronic receipt.
While much speculation abounds, only time will tell what Amazon’s future plans are for the technology.
