Intriguing news, Amazon, the archenemy of retail stores, introduces a bold idea that portends to revitalize brick and mortar shopping.
Even as online shopping increases in market share, sometimes you just have to go to the store. The Amazon Go experience is designed to get you in and out quickly and hassle-free.
You enter the small (1,800 sq. ft.), yet well-stocked and invitingly organized grocery market. Instead of the usual line of tired cashiers across the front, you see gleaming turnstiles. You scan your Amazon Go app as you pass through a turnstile. You grab a shopping bag, quickly locate the bread and milk, and instead of rock-hard, frozen TV dinners, you select freshly prepared ready-to-go meals.
Then comes the best part—you head straight out the door to your car. While you are shopping, Amazon Go’s “Just Walk Out” technology keeps track of items added to or removed from your bag. As you leave the store, Amazon charges your account for the things you take and sends you a receipt.
According to Business Insider, Amazon plans to build 2,000 of these grocery stores across the US over the next ten years starting with the first store in Seattle.
The stores will be stocked with staples like bread and milk but will also include artisan cheeses and other delicacies. Hungry shoppers will also be able to select from chef-prepared, ready to eat meals and “chef-designed Amazon Meal Kits” that include fresh ingredients you finish preparing at home.
On the surface, Amazon Go may appear to be trendy, convenient shopping for the urban niche market. However, the bold impact comes when the Just Walk Out technology is made available to other, larger retailers.
Amazon’s No-Line Retail Shopping Experience has the potential to re-ignite customer interest in brick and mortar stores and change the way we shop for years to come.
