Amazon’s fully automated stores are coming to San Francisco and Chicago in the near future, Seattle Times reports, citing a number of recent job listings and a subsequent confirmation from a company spokesperson. The world’s first Amazon Go store opened its doors to the Seattle public this January, with the e-commerce giant saying that more such locations are being planned and should start operating in the coming months. A February report claimed the firm is targeting half a dozen more Amazon Go store launches by the end of the year, with industry insiders stating three more facilities are expected to open in the company’s home city.
One such cashier-less shop is also likely to arrive in Los Angeles later this year and Amazon is already said to have discussed such plans with real estate mogul Rick Caruso, particularly in regards to his downtown shopping mall The Groove. No agreement between the two parties has been reached as of late winter and it’s presently unclear whether their discussions continued. While Amazon’s core business remains focused on the e-commerce segment, its physical expansion allows it to diversify and take on traditional retail giants, particularly Walmart which is widely reported to be developing automated store concepts as well. The prototype location in Seattle is equipped with a large volume of camera and sensors, allowing customers to have their Amazon Go app scanned at the entrance, pick up whatever they need, and exit the premises, after which the system will automatically charge their credit or debit cards for whatever goods they brought out.
Taking family members and friends with you into Amazon Go stores is also possible and the solution itself is advertised as being highly secure against theft. Amazon often touted the futuristic shopping experience as one of its most promising growth engines in the domestic retail segment but remains vague about its expansion plans. Earlier this month, the company announced major investments in Boston and Vancouver where it’s planning to create some 5,000 jobs in total over the coming years.