Jeff Bezos has announced plans to open 10 Amazon Go convenience stores in the UK and none of them will have a single checkout.
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The first of the stores is set to open in London before the end of the year and Bezos is holding talks on opening another 20 stores in the UK although decisions are yet to be made.
The proposed stores will also be operating around transit hubs to target all the busybodies heading to and from the subway stations. Commuters will be able to stop by the no checkout store without being held up by queues and missing the metro or bus.
The Amazon convenience stores will operate in conjunction with cameras and an app. With the Amazon Go app customers will be able to gain entry into the stores while cameras will keep track of the items that each person takes.
This comes following the opening of the first Amazon Go shop in Seattle, Washington in 2018. The store is still mostly selling food and drink. But, the strange yet super easy no checkout system has left customers feeling like they have been shoplifting. One customer told the Associated Press:
It's such a weird experience because you feel like you're stealing when you go out the door.
However, if you're the anti-social, hate everyone type or even if you just have social anxiety, the no checkout system might make you feel more at ease. Another customer stated:
Just being able to walk out and not interact with anyone was amazing.
Although the store doesn't have any checkout tills they do still have employees around to help restock the shelves, check ID's and help out any lost customers but knowing Bezos, technology will be sure to take over.
Bryan Roberts, a retail analyst in the US told the Guardian:
It's brilliant technology and experience, but Amazon are not very good at running shops. If you have got a local captive audience, all of whom have got the app and can walk in and walk out, it's great.
The cashless system may soon pose a threat to small, local corner shop owners, many big chains such as Tesco and Sainsbury's have both been testing out cashless systems amongst coronavirus concerns. The Co-op and Waitrose have also been trailing no cash checkout and recently tested out an app that allows customers to pay with their cellphones.
