What would shopping look like if you just grab what you want and walk out? Six years ago Amazon started the development of a new kind of technology: just walk out. After development, Amazon implemented this technology in the first real-life Amazon Go shop. Customers download the Amazon Go app and use the app to enter the store. After check-in customers can start shopping. Every product you put up will be transferred to your virtual cart. If you change your mind about a product you can put it back, it will automatically be erased from your online account. Normally, if you are done shopping, you have to wait in line to pay your goods, but with this new technology you just walk out1, 2.
What kinds of technologies are used?
Amazon combined technologies that are used to develop self-driving cars: computer vision, sensor fusion and artificial intelligence1.Therefor Amazon can collect data, which tracks your movement in the Amazon Go shop. Weight sensors in the shelves detect which product a customer took and which product they put back. If the customer leaves the shop, the online account will be charged3.
What is the downside of Amazon Go?
In December 2016 the first prototype of the Amazon Go shop opened in Seattle. After a few months several technical problems appeared. One of the problems with the just walk out technology was that it breaks down if there are more than 20 people in the Amazon Go shop. The system has difficulties following more than 20 individuals and tracking all the products in the bags or shelves4.
It is my opinion that (if all problems are solved) this technology has great potential. Especially, the part that it saves you time because you don’t have to be in line at the cash register. Another advantage is that you don’t need your wallet anymore, just your mobile phone. Other supermarket chains should invest in Amazon’s technology.
Sources:
- https://www.amazon.com/b?ie=UTF8&node=16008589011
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrmMk1Myrxc
- https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/amazon-go-grocery-store-1.4497862
- https://www.theverge.com/2017/3/27/15073468/amazon-go-shopper-tracking-store-opening-delay
Thank you for your post. I find this very interesting myself too. However, I wonder if the problems could be solved and what other problems there are. For example, what if you buy a product, weigh it at home and then next time somehow replace the item on the shelve with an item that has the same weight? Then you wouldn’t have to pay for it since the shelve registers it as the same item being put back. And then of course having a maximum of 20 people in your store is a very big disadvantage. But if the problems could be solved, this would be a good way to save time during grocery shopping. What could also be interesting, looking at what you described as advantages of this technology, is home delivered grocery services like Picnic. They deliver to your home, so you don’t have to wait in line, and you pay online.
Thanks for introducing this new technology to us. I myself was already quite familiar with the topic since we chose it for our first assignment as well. I know that a blogpost cannot go into the depth a paper can, but I am missing some important points in your writings. Your conclusion is only drawn upon the fact that you do not have to be in line at the cashier, but I think there is a lot more about this technology. For instance, the huge amount of data gathered which can benefit the store as well as the customer through e.g. improved personalized recommendations and promotions or adjusted inventory based on local preference. Another example could be that saved labor costs in cashiers as well as in security persons are spend on customer enhancing experience such as freshly prepared meals or in-person advice on where to find articles in store. Hope this adds upon what you already mentioned.