Amazon is ready to open up its Amazon Go stores to the public following a year of testing with its own employees. The novel store allows customers to scan their phone with the Amazon Go app at one of the four turnstiles before heading into the store which is tracked with cameras in the ceiling, sensors on the shelves, and computer power tracking every item that’s picked up and bagged.
The store has been trialed by Amazon employees since December 2016 but now the company wants to try the service among the wider public. Amazon was initially going to try its Just Walk Out-powered Amazon Go store with the public during the early part of 2017 but put this decision off until now.
The Amazon Go store features most items you’d see in a typical store, one notable exception, however, is individual pieces of fruits such as apples and bananas, there are also no items that vary in weight and size. The reason for this omission is just to make Amazon’s job helluva lot easier on the tracking side of things.
The new store gives Amazon a really good look at the items you buy, or even just consider buying. This new data stream will be significant for their ability to suggest items to you once you get back in front of your phone or computer and start browsing Amazon.
While it’s a very technologically amazing feat, that could shake up the industry in the same way Netflix and Uber have impacted their respective markets, it could very damaging to people who depend on low skilled jobs if it becomes a widespread phenomenon.
Source: USA Today
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