Amazon was the first company to open a store that doesn't require checkouts, now the company wants other retailers to adopt its technology and allow customers to just walk out of stores without paying.
As Reuters reports, Amazon has deployed and continues to improve its cashierless system through the growing number of Amazon Go locations. However, from today that same technology is being offered to other stores, allowing them to remove their checkouts, too.
Amazon refers to the system as "Just Walk Out" technology and says it already has "several signed deals," with customers Amazon isn't naming yet, to deploy it in their stores. However, the system is slightly different to the one used in Go stores.
When visiting an Amazon Go location, customers scan an app on their phone. For other stores using Amazon's tech, a credit card will need to be inserted into a gated turnstile with "Just Walk Out technology by Amazon" printed on the side. Once the card has been read, the turnstile will allow a customer to enter the store and start shopping. When they leave, the store will automatically collect payment for the items taken. Receipts can be requested by typing an email address into a kiosk in any store using the Just Walk Out technology, with that and any future receipts sent by Amazon rather than the retailer.
Moving to a cashierless system will take some time and effort. Each store will need Amazon to visit and install ceiling cameras, shelf weight sensors, and the turnstile system in order for it to function. Amazon is also running a 24/7 support line to deal with any problems or queries.
Dilip Kumar, Amazon's vice president of physical retail and technology, said, "Do customers like standing in lines? This has pretty broad applicability across store sizes, across industries, because it fundamentally tackles a problem of how do you get convenience in physical locations, especially when people are hard-pressed for time."
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