Amazon is offering the technology that powers its Amazon Go till-free stores to other retailers.
The online giant stressed that this wasn’t a chance for retailers to open an Amazon Go branch but simply an opportunity to use the same technology in their own stores.
It was also at pains to point out that it wouldn’t be harvesting vast amounts of customers’ data but only enough to provide shoppers with an accurate receipt. “Similar to typical security camera footage,” it said.
The so-called ‘Just Walk Out’ platform uses a combination of computer vision, sensor fusion, and deep learning to determine “who took what” from the store. When a shopper takes something off the shelf, it’s added to their virtual cart. When the shopper puts the item back on the shelf, it comes out of their virtual cart. After they leave the store, they’re charged for their purchases.
In Just Walk Out-enabled stores, shoppers enter the store using a credit card. They don’t need to download an app or create an Amazon account. When they leave the store their credit card will be charged for the items in their virtual cart. If shoppers need a receipt, they can visit a kiosk in the store and enter their email address. A receipt will then be emailed to them. If they use the same card to any Just Walk Out-enabled store in the future, a receipt will be emailed to them automatically.
Trailblazers can email jwo-interest@amazon.com. There’s bound to be an SLR ThinkSmart innovation award for the first convenience store in Scotland to give it a whirl.
