Watch: Amazon has opened its first cashier-free (no queues!) store. This is what it looks like
But if it took so much time to build one store, can they build another?
After a year of testing on staffers, Amazon has finally unveiled its physical store to the public. The big idea was first introduced in late 2016, with a tentative plan to open the first store in early 2017. However, owing to a number of technical glitches, it needed till January 22 before the store could finally open – in Seattle, Amazon’s hometown.
The big idea, of course, is the same as for Amazon online: no check-out queues. C-NET test-drove the concept (video above) and more or less echoed what Amazon itself had claimed. That consumers can pick up whatever they want and walk out, with the payment being automatically made through their Amazon accounts, via the Amazon Go app.
While that sounds like a huge convenience, it is somewhat creepy to think of hundreds of cameras embedded in the ceilings, besides a host of sensors, to track consumers’ purchases. For the full explanation of the process, watch Amazon’s original video (bottom).
Here is a detailed walk through the store.
And here’s talk show host Jimmy Kimmel’s version of how it might all work out.