Courtesy: cnet.com
Amazon may be changing the way we grocery shop, with its new, fully cashier-less Amazon Go store, which opened in Seattle last week.
Shoppers enter the store by scanning the Amazon app on their smartphones, then pick anything off the shelves to place in their bags – no baskets or shopping carts needed. Through Amazon’s Walk Out technology, which uses the same sensors and visual trackers found in self-driving cars, Amazon knows when you’ve removed an item from the shelf and when you put it back; video cameras are even set up around the store. Once you leave, Amazon charges your account and sends you a receipt.
Though the ease of Amazon Go sounds appealing to most college students, experts say that this system could prove negative for your diet and budget. Impulse buys might be more common because you won’t stand in line contemplating the couple pints of ice cream you bought – you can just throw them in your bag and forget until you get home. The financial editor for the Today Show, Jean Chatzky, noted, “When you don’t see the money leave your wallet and aren’t even asked to swipe, it makes it too easy to spend.” We all know that online shopping has a similar effect, whereas when paying in person, we are more cognizant of what we’re buying and how much we’re spending.
So far, the store seems to be a huge hit, offering everything from gourmet bakery items and alcoholic beverages to premade meals. Amazon meal kits are also available, providing you with all the ingredients to make dinner if you need something fast. Employees are present to restock shelves, prep food, help customers locate items and check IDs. The technology has a few glitches (some have mentioned walking out of the store and not being charged for an item in their bag), but it seems to be operating fairly smoothly, providing a great place to grab a few snacks or pick up a freshly-made lunch or dinner.
It’s hard to know what the future of grocery stores will entail, as Amazon has not said whether they plan to build more cashier-less stores. However, your local grocery store will probably be around for a long time, especially for those who make large purchases and don’t want to carry around their items in bags while they shop.
For a quick trip, Amazon Go could definitely be the next step in grocery shopping – we’ll just have to wait and see.