Amazon Goes Future, AmazonGo

The cashless store launched a while ago which set a new benchmark for traditional retail stores. The traditional brick and mortar looking store hits you right at the front door when you make an entry to realize its not a traditional one. It looks like a subway station allowing people to enter via a QR code generated in the Amazon app.

AmazonGo Is Set to Go

AmazonGo went live in Seattle right near the Amazon campus after one year of beta testing. It uses the most hi-tech systems to keep track of what the shoppers are buying which takes your shopping experience to a new high.

No lines. No checkout. No, seriously.

The operations were started 4 years back to create such an advance ecosystem of shopping. Its actually surprising to see their vision come live.

Their vision started with a statement ‘What if we can use the most advanced machine learning, computer vision and AI into the supermarkets’. Which was accomplished so much so that you never have to wait in the line again or at the checkouts or at the front of the cashier. That’s what AmazonGo is. It’s just a simple grab and go experience.

It was a big moment in the history for retail. Chinese and other retailers across the globe will also try to replicate the same idea to provide a seamless customer experience as Amazon is providing through AmazonGo. That’s why Amazon is not leaking the technology they used.

How does AmazonGo works?

Use the AmazonGo app to enter the store. Just scan your barcode at the gate, put away your phone and start shopping. Its really that simple, seriously.

Take whatever you like, anything you pick is automatically added to your cart. If you change your mind about that product, just put it back and its technology will update your virtual cart automatically.

It uses computer vision, deep learning algorithms and sensor fusion, much like which is found in self driving cars to identify product pick ups and drop offs. They call it ‘Just walk out’ technology. Once you got everything you want, you can just go.

It uses multiple cameras and sensors which are spread throughout the store to know the location of the products. As soon as one picks up a product, the sensors detect the change on the rack and via proximity signals it tracks the person’s account and makes an addition to their virtual cart.

There are no shopping carts or baskets inside AmazonGo. Instead, they have paper bags. Where customers can directly put off their products in their bags.

Amazon’s technology simply changes the role of employees, employees are basically for helping customers and to troubleshoot any technical issue or for simply restocking the racks.

Employees are also available to help the customers find items. Just besides the store their is kitchen area with chefs preparing fresh meals available for sale. Apart from the aforementioned work, employees also sit in the wine area to check IDs of the customers who are up for shopping wine.

Finally, when you leave the AmazonGo store, its ‘Just walk out’ technology adds up your virtual cart and charges your Amazon account via Amazon pay or other affiliated service. You can ofcourse get Amazon coupons for the same while checking out and you will receive your virtual receipt as you go out. And you can keep going. That’s the amazing AmazonGo.