Every day, we head closer and closer towards becoming a cashless society. Through the introduction of debit cards and contactless cards, and then wireless payment applications on smartphones and tablets, now retail stores around the world are already in the process of eliminating even more from the traditional shopping experience, in this case, removing cashiers.
Leading this revolutionary change is Amazon with its Amazon Go stores. The aim is to completely eradicate the problem that traditional supermarkets and stores fall into having in the form of checkout queues, even in larger stores. Today, we’re going to zero in on this groundbreaking and innovative move from one of the biggest retailers in the world.
So, how does it work?
As a customer at an Amazon Go store, your main retail experience doesn’t change too much. All you do is go around the store and put all the items you want to buy into your trolley. However, when it comes to paying, you just don’t. You take your trolley and walk right out the door with it. What’s actually different is that you need to download the Amazon Go app to your smartphone before you start shopping.
This app then tracks everything you put into your basket and manages everything from your payment as you leave to sending you a receipt after you’re done. You cannot enter the store unless you have the Amazon Go app on your smartphone. With reductions in queue times, shoppers will have a faster, more streamlined experience that will surely become the future of shopping.
Where’s It Going Next?
While Amazon is, without a doubt, pioneering the movement, that doesn’t mean they’re monopolizing the market. Other tech start-ups under the names of AiFi and Grabango. Both of these companies are working on similar technologies that carry out the same duty in a bid to reduce checkout queues and staff costs across the board.
What’s more, as of March 2020, Amazon has now opened another branch of business where it’s going to be selling its cashier-less technology to other stores, chains, and brands. Naming the technology ‘Just Walk Out,’ a business that has already received a number of initial customers, although the names of these are yet to become public.
If you owned a retail store in which you wanted to use cashier-less technology, you could head over to the Just Walk Out website where everything is explained, and there’s the facility to ask questions and find out more about it.
What Does This All Mean?
Well, while the technology is relatively new, it’s quickly being integrated into society, and it won’t be long before we start seeing it everywhere. Of course, there are bits and pieces that will need to be ironed out, but once these are done as the technology evolves, it’s safe to say this is going to be the future.
Summary
While Amazon is forefronting this technology, it’s no secret it’s going to expand out into other areas of retail under different companies. If you’re a retailer, this may be something you want to start looking into and thinking about.
