The concept targets customers in residential neighbourhoods rather than office workers, whom the smaller Amazon Go convenience stores serve, according to Reuters. The new format reflects Amazon’s ambitions to capture more of shoppers’ weekly spend through groceries, increasing competition with national players Kroger, Albertsons, and others.
As with Amazon’s convenience stores, customers scan an ‘Amazon Go’ smartphone app on a gated turnstile to enter and start shopping. Hundreds of ceiling cameras and shelf weight censors ascertain what customers add to their carts, and their on-file credit cards are billed once they leave the store - no cashiers or checkout lines necessary.
If a shopper puts an item back on the shelf after looking at it, Amazon removes the product from his or her virtual basket. The new format is not the same as a full-fledged supermarket; for instance, it has fresh cold cuts in packages but not a deli or seafood counter, as at other grocers where associates offer expansive selections of items.
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