Linus Tech Tips Visits the New Amazon Go Store

The cashier-less Amazon Go store opened just this Monday in Seattle, and Linus (not Torvalds) adventured down to test the establishment’s security. The shopping experience appears to be as advertised, but some quirks in the current system may allow customers to get items for free.

The less angry Linus

the shittier linus.

Careful, Linus, those tampons taste horrible.

Wow, this is actually a very nifty concept in action; wonder how long it will be before it makes its appearance into whole foods. Also, pads over tampons? dating a teen much?

I cant wait to try this.

Says steals tampons, while holding pads.

Great concept, but it requires a smartphone and of course a store near you. It might be relevant in 5-10 years.

The store is built on the premise of the honor system combined with deep learning. So amazon is about to learn the hard way about how the honor system doesn't work with mentally ill people and thieves.

I was poking gigantic holes in the ideas behind this store and I'm expecting their product loss to be staggering.

Biggest thing I wonder about is something he touched on in the video and that is how many people it can handle? I don't think it would be a big deal most of the time but what happens the day before a holiday and they have a line to get in?

Domingow said:

Wow, this is actually a very nifty concept in action; wonder how long it will be before it makes its appearance into whole foods. Also, pads over tampons? dating a teen much?

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He said on his weekly show that the original idea was to buy extra small condoms as a joke against himself but the store doesn't sell condoms at all. The female hygiene products were the next most embarrassing thing they could think of. Someone from amazon was talking to them and thought it was a good idea as well saying how embarrassed guys are buying those.

Domingow said:

Wow, this is actually a very nifty concept in action; wonder how long it will be before it makes its appearance into whole foods. Also, pads over tampons? dating a teen much?

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I am sure the plan was to eventually roll this out to all current Whole Foods location.

dark_reign said:

Great concept, but it requires a smartphone and of course a store near you. It might be relevant in 5-10 years.

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The bigger problem is it's only open from 7am to 9pm M-F, which means they aren't even open on the weekend.

Pinski said:

The bigger problem is it's only open from 7am to 9pm M-F, which means they aren't even open on the weekend.

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They're just testing the waters to see how well it works. If it does then it should be open weekends and possibly be open 24 hours a day.

dark_reign said:

Great concept, but it requires a smartphone and of course a store near you. It might be relevant in 5-10 years.

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Sooner, methinks.

"quirks in the current system may allow customers to get items for free."

-What? Did u watch the video? If by allowing people to claim a refund is a quirk then yes, you can claim a refund on any items you got and get a refund.

viscountalpha said:

The store is built on the premise of the honor system combined with deep learning. So amazon is about to learn the hard way about how the honor system doesn't work with mentally ill people and thieves.

I was poking gigantic holes in the ideas behind this store and I'm expecting their product loss to be staggering.

Click to expand...

You must not know how supermarkets work in the US. Plenty of stores are based on the honor system AND prices include covering for losses. Amazon is not going to open a Amazon GO store or Whole Foods in the ghetto.

It must be really hard being a YouTube personality your eyes peeled back try to remain happy and make videos of current trends.

No shopping carts means you need to carry the stuff in your Razer backpack?

Comixbooks said:

No shopping carts means you need to carry the stuff in your Razer backpack?

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If you are a Soy Boi, yes.

He's super happy about dem panty liners. XD

Gasaraki_ said:

You must not know how supermarkets work in the US. Plenty of stores are based on the honor system AND prices include covering for losses. Amazon is not going to open a Amazon GO store or Whole Foods in the ghetto.

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No. I would say you don't know how grocery stores work.

But if you do know more then me, prove it. What is your experience working in retail?

viscountalpha said:

The store is built on the premise of the honor system combined with deep learning. So amazon is about to learn the hard way about how the honor system doesn't work with mentally ill people and thieves.

I was poking gigantic holes in the ideas behind this store and I'm expecting their product loss to be staggering.

Click to expand...

First I think the concept of the honor system is changing. Basically the new era of honor will look a lot more like a credit score. At Amazon Go you use your phone to ID you coming in, if things start to go missing eventually they figure out who you are and reject you at the door. Just like if you are caught stealing at a normal store they may enforce a trespassing rule on you in the future. Except here they actually have a way to only let in customers that are registered. This would sort of be like those 24 hour unstaffed fitness centers, you can't get in without an ID, if you were to go vandalize the place or steal something they would just take away your membership. And now the store knows who is in there, they can even do more complex tasks like have people back at a security center monitor people whom are suspected or have been caught stealing from the second they walk in the door.

Also I will say that in many areas the honor system does work well enough, even if not perfect. The best example is returns, now days big companies will take returns on just about anything for just about any reason. This is the an honor system there are so many ways to game it and cause problems but by and large it works and it creates a much better society to live in. You don't have to fret about every purchase decision or carefully plan out every item you need because you can return things. Are there some people who buy a hammer just to use it once and return it? Sure, but there are few enough people doing it that home depot still sells enough hammers.