A look into the new Amazon Go store.
The Internet of Things is back at it again! Monday marks the first day that customers will be able to shop at the first Amazon Go store in Seattle. While this is definitely not the store for the technologically novices, it is exciting to see what we can really access. The store has absolutely no checkout lines, so how are customer supposed to shop? Well, to even enter the store you have to log on to your Amazon Go app. Sensors throughout the store will then track what you take and charge your Amazon account. There will even be digital displays under each item that will tell you how the item was rated, just like on the website!
As this is the first store of its kind, many wonder how it will take off. According to the article, Amazon tested the store on its current employees. According to an Amazon representative, the volume of business just from that small market was significantly higher than expected. While this is their first store of this kind, selling groceries, ready-to-eat meals, cold drinks and meal prep kits, Amazon operates 13 bookstores across the U.S.
A store like this definitely inspires a question or two. Is human interaction being replaced by the simplicity that technology brings? Will this be the beginning of the end for cashiers? How will Amazon ensure that the technology is always talking to each other and does not malfunction? While I have no answer to these questions, perhaps time can tell us a thing or two. Even though I am currently a cashier, I would be excited to try out this new store!
http://money.cnn.com/2018/01/21/technology/business/amazon-go-seattle-store/index.html