by Dan Grabham Pocket-lint Associate editor
Amazon has been opening physical Amazon Go convenience stores and Amazon Go Grocery stores across the US and it has now launched a UK store, branded Amazon Fresh.
All have one thing in common – unlike most shops, there are no registers or cashiers. You walk in, pick out what you want, and walk out. Amazon calls it a ‘just walk out‘ shopping experience.
Here’s everything you need to know, including how it works.
What is a ‘just walk out’ store?
Amazon described the original Amazon Go store as “a new kind of store with no checkout required”. The first Amazon Go in Seattle was basically a small convenience store with roughly 1,800 square feet of retail space and it’s this small format that is replicated elsewhere.
When you shop at one of these stores, you never have to wait in line. The store works with an Amazon Go app for iOS or Android: You enter, take the products you want and, thanks to the app, just leave again. The app is linked to your Amazon Go: Serves breakfast, lunch, and all sorts of snacks that are ready And now there’s a similar store in London, but it’s called Amazon Fresh. These stores work by using the same types of technologies found in self-driving cars, such as computer vision, sensor fusion, and deep learning. This technology can detect when products are taken or returned to the shelves and keeps track of them in your virtual cart. When you leave the store with your goods, your Amazon account is charged and you are sent a receipt. There are now over 25 Amazon Go stores in the US including the larger Amazon Go Grocery (one of which is a smaller concession in a Macy’s). Amazon has also now launched the first store outside the US with the technology. This is in Ealing, UK and is called Amazon Fresh, matching the brand Amazon is using for online grocery. Other rumours pointed to stores in Oxford Circus (2018), Notting Hill Gate (2020) before the Ealing store surfaced. Where can you find these stores?
