Amazon is Expanding Their Check-Out Free Retail Concept

[DooKey]

Several months ago we shared a story with you about Amazon and their new Amazon Go store in Seattle. This store features a check-out free concept. Pick up what you want and walk out. This concept has apparently worked well for Amazon and they are opening a second store in Seattle that's even bigger. Also, since that first store opened there are reports that say Amazon is going to open as many as six additional stores. Two of the confirmed stores will be in San Francisco and Chicago. Hopefully this concept will spread to other retailers and help to ease the issues of long check-out lines and moody cashiers. Bring it on.


The store relies heavily on the Amazon Go smartphone app. Customers scan a unique QR code within the app before passing through a set of glass doors, similar to the gates Amazon employees go through when entering their office buildings every morning. A vast array of overhead cameras and weight sensors in the shelves automatically track what people pick up and take from the store.

 

[pcgeekesq]

I wonder what else and where else the Amazon Go app will track about you.

Count me out.

 

[katanaD]

for convenience store style buying, i can see this working for many.

 

[castlefire]

They should roll this out in Compton Ca

 

[Dekoth-E-]

I keep reading about this and I cannot for the life of me see how this is a good idea on any level. The list of potential things that can go wrong is massive. I mean hell, stores struggle with shinkage with actual people physically there. You are going to try and convince me that this system can't be easily defeated? Nah..I don't think so. I can think of about 3 different ways to defeat this thing with minimal money off the top of my head.

 

[katanaD]

I mean hell, stores struggle with shinkage with actual people physically there

well, if the store doesnt have anybody there.. then they cant be stealing things

 

[RealBeast]

They should roll this out in Compton Ca

This is just going to ruin the whole shoplifting experience.

 

[Archaea]

I keep reading about this and I cannot for the life of me see how this is a good idea on any level. The list of potential things that can go wrong is massive. I mean hell, stores struggle with shinkage with actual people physically there. You are going to try and convince me that this system can't be easily defeated? Nah..I don't think so. I can think of about 3 different ways to defeat this thing with minimal money off the top of my head.

 

[Cyraxx]

You know whats fucking hilarious? Where they are opening these up.

They are opening these up in the most liberal hipster douche places possible. San Francisco. Seattle. Chicago. Need I say more? The irony is how the people living in these cities will claim to defend $15/hour wage jobs - all the while being the prototype for doing away with those jobs. Way to wish in one hand and shit in the other. Except they shit on the people they claim to defend.

Not that I care - I've been saying to do away with incompetent retail jobs forever, I just didn't sit there and act like they needed to be defended and paid ridiculous wages.

 

[Ferox]

Meijer Stores just started doing something very similar a couple weeks ago. You can use their shopping app to scan barcodes as you shop then you can go through self checkout and just scan 1 qr code at the register and pay for your stuff. https://www.meijer.com/content/cont...dscan&icid=HP:OLA:062418:MoreWays:ShopandScan

 

[mesyn191]

The irony is how the people living in these cities will claim to defend $15/hour wage jobs - all the while being the prototype for doing away with those jobs. .... Except they shit on the people they claim to defend.

The automation is coming everywhere once the issues get worked out, they're planning on opening 2,000 stores in less than 10yr, not just to the places that have $15/hr wages though. And that is just Amazon. Everyone is going to start doing it at some point in the near future. Hence the 20-40% permanently unemployed numbers that are being predicted by various economists over the next decade or 2.

Wages could be $5/hr or less and at some point the automation will still be coming, the date will just be pushed back some.

Amazon placing these stores in these areas has nothing to do with either them or the locals "shitting" on higher wages, that is just you beating on a strawman.

Its also perfectly legit to want more automation, and higher wages, and other things like a UBI/Mincome as well. None of those things are strictly speaking incompatible with each other. It all depends on how they're implemented really.

Personally so long as income remains reasonable (via a combo of higher wages + UBI/Mincome) I'm all for more automation and less work. Especially less repetitive drudge work of the sort you find in retail stores or fast food restaurants.