Amazon Go is a high-tech grocery store which is located in Seattle, Washington, US. The store was opened on December 5, 2016 only to the employees of Amazon Go and in later on January 22, 2018, to the public. The stores are cashier less, thus partially automated, with customers able to purchase products without being checked out by a cashier or using a self-checkout station.
How it works?
Amazon uses several technologies to automate Go stores, including computer vision, deep learning algorithms, and sensor fusion for the purchase, checkout, and payment steps associated with a retail transaction. The store concept is seen as a revolutionary model that relies on the prevalence of smartphones and geofencing technology to streamline the customer experience, as well as supply chain and inventory management.
The Amazon Go app for iOS and Android links to their Amazon account and is the primary method of paying for items at the store, alongside cash at certain locations. The app is required to enter the store, which has turnstiles that scan a QR code generated on the app. The app allows users to add others to their Amazon account, so a family’s purchases can be charged to the same bill. The ceiling of the store has multiple cameras and store shelves have weight sensors, to detect which item(s) a customer took. If a customer takes an item off the shelf, it will be added to the customer’s virtual cart. Similarly, if a customer places an item back on the shelf, it is removed from the customer’s virtual cart.
Locations of the stores
As of March 2021, there are 32 store locations (both established and announced) in the United States, and 15 in the United Kingdom.
| City and State | Date of first store | Number of stores |
| Seattle, Washington | January 22, 2018 | 7 |
| San Francisco, California | October 23, 2018 | 5 |
| New York City, New York | May 7, 2019 | 8 |
| London, United Kingdom | March 4, 2021 | 15 |
| Chicago, Illinois | September 17, 2018 | 7 |
Conclusion
The goal of the amazon is not to kill the jobs of employees, but to provide the convenience to the customers that you cannot get from the other grocery stores.
