Amazon is experimenting with a new format of the Amazon Go shop experience in one of its American office buildings. The small shop is located in downtown Seattle and is aimed at sating the hungry appetites of office workers. Previously, Amazon Go shops have been comprehensive shops akin to supermarkets. This smaller outlet, said to be the same size an NYC studio apartment, is roughly one quarter the size of the other premises it operates.
Apparently the new Amazon Go shop is just a modest 450 square feet and will be selling mainly salads and snacks for office workers in the area. Amazon is reported to be considering a similar idea to be located in airports.
The Amazon Go concept is expected to be heading to the UK soon, and maybe elsewhere in Europe, but currently it only features in the United States cities of San Francisco, Seattle and New York city with possible expansion in Chicago touted recently too. With the acquisition of Whole Foods last year, the Amazon Go idea could be coming to that chain too.
The idea is simple: there are no checkouts. You scan your Amazon Go app as you enter the store and motion sensors, cameras and other technological wizardry keep a track of what you put in your basket. They tot up what you owe and the bill is automatically deducted from your Amazon registered payment method after your leave.
The systems have been improved since the first store was opened in Seattle. The initial experiences, which were trialled only by Amazon staff, were not a success but the tech has been refined since then and this is the eighth Amazon Go store to open.
We’d love to hear the experiences of anyone who has used one of the shops and how it works. It is clearly a notion that is going to be adopted by other retailers and Amazon is blazing the trail.
