On June 17th, Amazon opens an Amazon Fresh market with cashless payment for the first time on the size of a supermarket.
With Amazon Go, the retail giant began its attack on the stationary grocery trade and has continuously expanded the concept of cashier-free shopping since then. Above all, Amazon had to work on the potential size of the stores, as the Go stores are comparatively small (maximum 200 square meters) and rather unsuitable for weekly shopping. So far, the technology called “Just Walk Out” has not been equipped for such sizes and the crowds associated with them. At the beginning of 2020, Amazon opened its first cash-free supermarket with an area of almost 1,000 square meters and recently brought the concept to Europe as Amazon Fresh.
Technology developed over the years
And now Amazon is also attacking the classic supermarkets: On June 17, Amazon is opening a cashless supermarket with an area of over 2,300 square meters in Bellevue, Washington state. What makes this market special – like the smaller representatives – is the technology that Amazon calls “Just Walk Out”. With the help of sensors, cameras and artificial intelligence, customers are able to shop without having to queue for a long time at the checkout. The store automatically recognizes which products the customer is taking with them (and which ones are being put back). Billing is then carried out digitally via the Amazon account or the credit card on file.
The fact that Amazon is now making the technology available in a large market is an indication that it has been continuously developed in recent years. At the beginning there were more technical problems even in the small Go stores, for example when it was not recognized that a customer was putting a product back on the shelf. Many people at the same time and a wide range of goods were obstacles that technology could not yet overcome.
That seems to be different now as the responsible Amazon manager Dilip Kumar clarifies: “The introduction of Just Walk Out technology in a full-size grocery store with the Amazon Fresh Store in Bellevue demonstrates the technology’s continued ability to scale and adapt to new environments and offerings. I am thrilled that this will enable even more customers to enjoy an easier and faster way of shopping, and I can’t wait to get their feedback on this latest Just Walk Out offer ”.
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Published: June 16, 2021
/ Written by Christoph Pech
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