Amazon opens automated supermarket without cashiers

Amazon’s first convenience store, Amazon Go, will be located in Seattle. The plan comes as Amazon looks to attract more potential customers to its products, instead of buying online as before.

This is an automated store model, without the need for cashiers or checkout counters. Customers simply walk into the store, select the items they want to buy, and then walk out. Payment is made using a credit card stored in the customer's personal profile.

Gianna Puerini, vice president of Amazon Go, said in an interview that after four years of research and testing, the automated store system has worked very well.

The store is located in an Amazon office building. To start shopping, customers must scan the Amazon Go app with their smartphone and go through a turnstile to check in.

A customer scans an app on his smartphone to enter an Amazon Go store in Seattle. Photo: Reuters/Jeffrey Dastin.

Amazon Go uses cameras and weight sensors on shelves to track customers’ purchases. What customers take away or leave on the shelves is calculated precisely.

When returning and walking through the check-in counter to exit the store, the system will automatically recognize the products that the customer has taken away to automatically pay.

As soon as you walk into the store, you’ll see ready-to-eat lunch items like sandwiches, salads, and milk. Deeper inside are groceries, including meat and meal kits. Only at the wine and beer counter do Amazon employees need to check customer IDs.

Customers browse sandwiches, salads and packaged foods at an Amazon Go store. Photo: Reuters/Jeffrey Dastin.

However, many people believe that a store model like Amazon Go will face many challenges. With customers who look quite similar, the camera recognition system can be confused and many cases of fraud arise.

In addition, children entering the store can be mischievous and cause products on the shelves to be mixed up, leading to later shoppers not being able to find the exact item they want.

Previously, Amazon acquired the entire Whole Foods supermarket chain for a total deal value of up to 13.7 billion USD. However, the world's leading retail corporation is still trying to find ways to reduce customers' waiting time when shopping. That is also the reason for the birth of Amazon Go.