Amazon has opened a cashier-less supermarket in Seattle – the first Amazon-branded store with fresh produce for sale. Amazon also owns the Whole Foods chain of US supermarkets which it bought in 2017 for over $13 billion.

At 10,400 sq ft the new Amazon Go Grocery store is much bigger than Amazon’s 25 Go convenience store-style outlets. Amazon says the Go Grocery supermarket carries around 5,000 SKUs, including “an array of fresh fruits and vegetables that change with the seasons” as well as meat, seafood, breads, store cupboard items.

Amazon Go app and QR codes cater for the family

Amazon Go Grocery and Amazon Go convenience stores allow customers to use the same Amazon Go app for entry. To bring several people into the store – for instance for a family shopping trip – customers must use the QR code in their Amazon Go app to scan in each person first at the gate, then scan again for themselves to enter.

“Everyone can then shop the store like normal,” says Amazon.” Any items taken off the shelf by family or friends who entered the store using the app will be added to that person’s virtual cart. If they return any items back to the shelf while in the store, those items will be removed from the virtual cart.” Items do not need to be scanned.

Amazon’s ‘Just walk out’ checkout technology means there is no scanning of goods, no physical  payment element and no need to speak to a human being.

What are staff doing in the Amazon Go Grocery store?

Amazon insists its teams of associates “are an important part of the experience at Amazon Go Grocery”. In the Seattle stores they are present, greeting shoppers at the door, restocking shelves and the fresh produce area, answering questions, and making product recommendations.

We’ve simply shifted how our associates spend their time so they can help deliver a great experience for shoppers,” says Amazon.

Cameras and sensors are believed to keep track of items picked up and taken out of the store.

Commentators suggests that once hundreds of shoppers are in the store it could be more difficult for the technology to work with 100% accuracy. One reporter who visited the store said the bill came through to her online 2.5 hours after leaving the store. Discrepancies can be dealt with through the app, Amazon says.

View the Good Morning America’s video on Amazon Go Grocery:

From the Amazon website: