Amazon is undergoing a significant shift in its grocery store strategy as it phases out its checkout-less stores equipped with "Just Walk Out" technology.
This move marks a departure from the innovative concept that relied on cameras and sensors to monitor customer purchases. The Seattle-based company will now focus on dash carts.
Transition to Dash Carts and Self-Checkout
(Photo : NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP via Getty Images)
Instead of the Just Walk Out technology, Amazon is pivoting towards Dash Carts, which feature embedded scanners and screens, enabling customers to check out items as they shop. This transition aims to provide a more reliable and seamless shopping experience compared to the previous checkout-less model. Additionally, Amazon Fresh stores will now incorporate self-checkout counters to cater to customers who are not Amazon members.
Amazon's senior VP of grocery stores, Tony Hoggett, confirmed that Dash Carts will replace Just Walkout in some grocery stores, The Information first reported.
Related Article: Amazon's 'Just Walk Out' Cashierless Retail Technology Adds RFID Capability for Quicker Checkout
The Rise and Fall of Just Walk Out
Introduced in 2016, Just Walk Out was hailed as a groundbreaking advancement in grocery shopping, allowing customers to bypass traditional checkout lines. However, the technology faced several challenges, including delays in receipt generation and the high cost associated with maintaining the intricate system of scanners and cameras in each store. Despite its initial promise, Just Walk Out did not fully meet Amazon's expectations.
Amazon's Grocery Store Expansion
Amazon Fresh, launched in 2007, operates over 40 locations across the United States and is viewed as a key player in Amazon's foray into the grocery market.
While the company also owns Whole Foods, its experiments with Amazon Fresh serve as a testing ground for future innovations within the larger grocery chain, Gizmodo writes.
Although Amazon is discontinuing Just Walk Out technology in most stores, it plans to retain it in select Fresh stores in the United Kingdom and some Amazon Go convenience stores. Additionally, the technology will continue to be utilized in certain ballparks across the country.
Just earlier this year, Amazon's Just Walk Out technology became available to healthcare facilities. Employees can instantly buy the goods they want by using their work badges.
The expansion of cashierless tech in Fresh supermarkets is a big leap in the healthcare industry. Instead of waiting in long queues, workers can pay for their items quickly. This is helpful, especially for those with busy shifts.
Amazon's payment method is available at any time. When the employee badge is scanned, the money is deducted from the payroll deduction account linked to the system.
