People were blown away when two years ago Amazon dropped an ad introducing their new concept store, Amazon Go. The idea was that this would be a new shopping experience where customers wouldn’t wait in traditional lines and would simply walk in, grab their groceries, and leave, with payment taking place automatically through an app on their phones.
Well, the first of the futuristic stores has now come to Chicago; 113 S Franklin St., to be exact. The first Amazon Go opened in Seattle, Washington, two years ago, initially only open to employees living near the company’s headquarters. After a year of testing with employees, Amazon opened the Seattle store to the public and later added several more in the area. With results looking promising, Amazon has now opened it’s fourth store in Chicago. The store is located on the first floor of the company’s Chicago office complex.
In order to use the store, customers simply have to enable an app on their smartphones. They scan the app upon entering the store and are then tracked by sensors and cameras as they walk through the store and take items off the shelf. Customers are automatically charged as they leave.
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Customers were lined up down the block to enter the store on its opening day, with many excited about what the store might mean for the future of grocery shopping. Not everyone shares this enthusiasm, however. There has been concern among many individuals that the stores are eliminating the need for workers, thus putting jobs at risk.
Amazon Go Vice President Gianna Puerini states that while workers are not needed for operating a cash register, there are still employees that accept deliveries, stock shelves, and assist customers. Puerini declined to disclose how many employees are needed a run an Amazon Go store.
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The store offers the usual pre-made food found at other grocery stores, including sandwiches, salads, and other snacks. No hot food is currently on offer as one of the main goals of the store is to eliminate lineups. There are, however, two microwaves on site to heat food up should a customer desire.
It’s believed that in the hustle and bustle of the Chicago business district, Amazon Go will be a welcome addition. As Puerini states: “I don’t know a ton of people who say, ‘I love the part where I wait in line and they ring up all my stuff.’”
Amazon plans to open up similar stores in San Francisco and New York in the coming years.
