In short: Amazon is reportedly looking to expand its existing Amazon Go stores, and have around 3,000 locations open by 2021. Amazon has already been opening up its Amazon Go stores pretty quickly in the past month, and it now has around four locations open, with one being in Chicago and three around Seattle – where its headquarters are located. Amazon is hoping to continue opening more stores and continue a bigger push into actual retail stores, which is still a bit odd for many people, since Amazon was one of the main reasons that retail stores are closing these days.
Background: Back in January of this year, Amazon opened the first Amazon Go store. It was initially just for employees, while it tested out the store and worked out all of the kinks. It later opened two more locations in Seattle, and then another in Chicago. Amazon Go is essentially a store that you can go to and pick up some groceries and a few other popular products from Amazon’s website, and never need to worry about waiting in line at the cashier. This is because you will be scanning your QR Code when you enter, which essentially logs you into the store, then you will do the same thing when you leave, and it will charge your account. Now obviously this could be tricked, or at least some people thought so. Since this is using a bunch of cameras and lasers to see what you purchase. But many people attempted to trick the system, and were unsuccessful. Amazon was still able to charge them for the right items.
Impact: A cashierless grocery store might sound like it is putting people out of jobs, but it really isn’t. Just because Amazon isn’t using cashiers, doesn’t mean there is no one actually working at the store, it’s actually the opposite. As there are still people that need to stock the shelves, prepare the prepared food that is also being sold and so forth. So this is a pretty good thing, and it’ll be interesting to see where these 3,000 stores open up. Most likely they will be in the larger metro areas.